v. 23 — Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why s…
Commentary on the Gospel according to John · St Cyril of Alexandria
He proves the officer guilty of a gross wrong, even if He That was on His trial had been a man of obscure position. For he smote Him causelessly, contrary to his express duty; not urged thereto by legal commands, but rather incited to brutal ferocity of behaviour by his own inbred madness. Call in question, if it please thee, and refute My words, as not spoken aright; but if thou canst not do this, why smitest thou Me, with Whose speech thou canst find no fault?
CyrJn 11.23.1
This is, indeed, the ordinary and most usual interpretation of the passage; but I think the meaning of the passage is different from this. For it may be, that He convicts the officer as guilty of the greater sin; not because he smote Him merely, but because, after having been previously amazed at His teaching, and not having now found Him in any wise guilty, he yet endured to treat Him with contumely. For if, He says, thou hadst not once been struck by My words; if I had not then seemed to you to teach most noble doctrines, and thou hadst not been convinced that I expounded Holy Writ in a marvellous way; if thou hadst not thyself exclaimed: Never man so spake, perhaps some plea might have been found for giving mercy to thy inexperience, and acquitting thee of this charge; but since thou hast known and hast marvelled at My teaching, and wouldst not, perhaps, Christ says, have borne witness against My words, if thou didst now think it right to bear in mind thine own words, how canst thou have any cloak for thy sin? You may understand the passage in this way; but also remark how the Saviour herein sketches for us the pattern of His great long-suffering towards us, in all its incomparable excellence, and, as in a well-defined portrait, by the actions of His life, gives us a type of the nature of His exceeding great mercy. For He That, by one single word, might have brought utter ruin on the Jews, endures to be smitten as a slave. He offers no resistance, and does not requite His persecutors with instant chastisement; for He is not subject to our infirmities, nor under the dominion of passion, or resentment, or discomposed by their malicious insults; but He gently puts His adversary to shame, and tells him, that he did not right to strike One Who answered courteously, and in the hour of His imminent peril forgets not the virtues He continually practised. For, by proper argument, He strives to induce the servant that ministered to the malice of the Jews to abandon his fit of passion, Himself receiving evil for good, according to the Scripture, but requiting those who were dishonouring Him with good instead of evil.
CyrJn 11.23.2
But our Lord Jesus Christ, even when He was smitten, endured it patiently, though He was truly God, the Lord of heaven and earth; and we poor miserable mortals, mean and insignificant as we are, mere dust and ashes, and likened to the green herb: For, as for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth, according to the Scripture,----when one of our brethren happens to have some words with us, and lets fall some vexatious expression, we think we do right to be enraged with the fury of dragons, and cease not to pelt him with a storm of words in return for one; not granting forgiveness to human littleness, nor considering the frailty of our common humanity, nor burying in brotherly love the passions that thus arise, nor looking unto Jesus Himself, the Author and Perfecter of our faith; but eager to avenge ourselves, and that to the uttermost, though Holy Writ declares in one place: He that pursueth vengeance, pursueth it to his own death; and in another: Let none of you harbour resentment in your heart against your brother. But let Christ, the Lord of all, Himself be unto us a Pattern of gentleness to one another, and exceeding great forbearance; for He, for this very reason, saith unto us: A disciple is not above his master, nor a servant above his lord.
CyrJn 11.23.3
The Spirit illustrated Christ's glory to the Saints. 455 456 An illustration of the relation of Son and Spirit. 458 Language is insufficient to express the relations of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. 459 460 Out of consideration for His disciples Christ did not allude to His Passion. 461 462 Christ vouchsafes further information, and adds comfort thereto. 463 464 Their joy cannot be lost. We ask in the Name of Christ, the Mediator. 465 466 The superiority of this manner of prayer. We shall understand perfectly after tins life. 467 468 God, from His own Good Will, will bestow the riches of His Goodness. 469 470 The disciples rigid faith rendered them acceptable. Christ's Divinity proved by His Ascension. 471 472 Christ's Divinity accepted by the disciples, by reason of His omniscience. 473 474 We may take courage in God's service, for we are not alone. 475 476 Christ was superior to sin, and conquered death. 477 God's glory must hold the first place. 479 480 Christ was not bereft of Divine glory. God the Father gave and received glory. 481 482 Christ spoke as God and Man. 484 The method by which God gave and received glory. 485 486 The Father works through the Son, 488 Jesus Christ is One God with the Father. 489 490 The Gospel reveals God as the Father. 492 We glorify God by good works, through Christ. 493 494 Christ worked as God; not in a ministerial capacity. 495 496 Christ never relinquished His own glory, even in His humiliation. 497 The Father's glory is manifested by Christ's works. 499 500 The Name "Father" greater than "God." Christ revealed God as Father. 501 502 All things are God's, and were "given" to Christ as Man. 503 504 The "words" which the disciples accepted signify His Divine Mission. 505 Christ mediates as Man; as did Aaron. 507 508 Those given to Christ are yet the Father's. Christ and the Father glorified in the disciples. 509 510 Christ's prayer is for the disciples left in the world. 512 The fusion of Christ's Divinity and Humanity. God's Name is inherently Christ's Name. 513 514 The unity of the disciples resembles the unity of purpose of Father and Son. 515 516 Christ promises protection to His disciples through His power as God. 517 518 Judas fell by his own act. Scripture foretold, but did not compel, his action. 519 520 Christ did sustain and aid His disciples. Christ indicates His twofold Nature. 521 522 Christ, whether present or absent in Body, saved through the power of His Godhead. 523 524 The "joy" is the knowledge of Christ's Divinity. Christian life is dissevered from the world. 525 526 Christ puts Himself on a level with us, for our encouragement. 527 528 The Saints remain for our example. They must continue in purity. 529 530 Satan, being of necessity a foe, renders Divine assistance necessary. 531 532 God, being holy, takes pleasure in the holy. 534 The Father, Son, and Spirit are essentially One. 535 536 The Saviour "sanctified" Himself by offering Himself for us. 537 538 Sanctification is by the Spirit, through Christ. Jesus bore our sins. 539 540 Further explanation may be found in the mystery of the Incarnation. 541 542 The requirements of human reason render such expressions necessary. 543 Christ prayed for all. 545 546 The Divine Type of our unity does not support the heretic s contention. 547 548 We are one with each other and with God both in a corporeal and a spiritual sense. 549 550 Corporeal union is through the Eucharist, spiritual union is through the Spirit. 551 552 All are one in the Holy Trinity. 554 By receiving Christ we are partakers of the Divine Nature. 555 556 Christ accepted the gift for us. The blessedness of being with Christ. 557 558 The pure will behold His glory. Man's redemption foreknown by the Father. 559 560 Why did Christ use the word "righteous?" Because He sent Christ into the world. 561 562 The disciples were out of the world by their knowledge of the Father and Son. 563 564 The mutual revelation of Father and Son demonstrates the Divinity of the Son. 565 566 Christ shrank not from suffering. The utter madness of Judas. 567 568 The folly of the crowd. Christ manifested His Divine Power. 569 570 How great and terrible is God! Christ the Good Shepherd. 571 572 Christ's care extends to all believers. S. Peter is our warning and example. 573 574 Christ taught perfect meekness. The disciples lived in human fashion. 575 576 Christ bowed to the Father s pleasure. Christ suffered for mans salvation. 577 578 The Jews bound Christ Who loosed us from the chains of sin. 579 580 S. John was an Eye-witness. S. Peter's transgression originated in love. 581 582 Caiaphas questioned Christ out of malice. Christ spoke openly and taught plainly. 583 584 Christ refers Caiaphas to the occasion when His enemies had been convinced. 585 586 The officer acted from self-interest. The enormity of the officer's sin. 587 588 Christ a Pattern of gentleness.
CyrJn 11.23.6