Chapter Twenty

¹ The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, to the sepulchre, and sees the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runs, and comes to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and says to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. By “the first day of the week” he names what is now among us the Lord’s day. For they call the days of the week “sabbaths”; and “the first of the sabbaths” means the first of the days; for indeed all the days are one. And the one (unit), being often taken and put together, makes the many. One, then, is the first day; but taken twice it becomes the second, and three times the third, and so onward. And of the age to come such a day is a type, which age is one day, never broken off by night, nor interrupted; for God is its sun, never setting. As therefore on this day the Lord rose, having made incorruptible His corruptible body, so we also in the age to come shall receive incorruption. There comes, then, on this first—that is, first of the sabbaths, that is, of the days of the sabbath and the week—there comes Mary Magdalene. For since the sabbath had passed, and she was no longer hindered by the law, she goes from the place, wishing to find some comfort; and seeing the stone taken away, with much speed she comes to Peter and John. For the Lord rose while the stone lay upon it and the seals were on it. But since it behoved that there should be also some witnesses of the resurrection, and that they should enter into the tomb, the stone is taken away by the angel. But Mary, knowing as yet nothing concerning the resurrection, calls the thing a taking-away and a removal. Wherefore also the disciples come to the sepulchre, and behold the linen clothes lying alone, which was truly the sign of the resurrection. For neither, if any had removed the body, would they have stripped it; nor, if they had stolen it, would they have cared to wrap up the napkin and to lay it apart in one place; but simply, as it was, they would have taken the body. And for this cause the Evangelist, foretelling, said that He was buried with much myrrh, which glows the linen clothes to the body no less than lead; that when we hear that the napkin lay apart, we may not endure them that say it was stolen. For so silly was no thief, as to spend so much time over a superfluous thing, and to show so much earnestness, and not to be wary lest, while he busied himself about this, he should perhaps be caught. At what hour, then, the resurrection took place, none knows; even as also the time of the second coming is unknown. And if Matthew says that the earthquake came late in the evening, but John says that Mary came early, while it was yet dark, and saw the stone taken away, there is no disagreement. For first we say that in Matthew women came late on the sabbath, but in John women are not now mentioned (for it were superfluous, Matthew having said this, that John should say the same), but Mary Magdalene comes early. For there were different comings to the sepulchre, sometimes Mary coming with the rest of the women, sometimes she alone. Whence the Evangelists, telling the different comings, one one and another another, seem to disagree. First, then, we say this, that Matthew tells one coming of women, and John another, of one woman, the Magdalene. Then, the “late in the evening,” and the “early, while it was yet dark,” which another calls “very early in the morning,” bring it to the same point; so that all these seasons are about midnight. And if you ask how, the keepers sitting by, John and Peter entered into the sepulchre, and the women, the answer is plain, that when the Lord was risen, and the angel with the earthquake had stood by the tomb, the keepers departed to tell the Pharisees; and the guard being gone, the disciples had liberty to draw near.

² And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then comes Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and sees the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and sees two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say to her, Woman, why do you weep? She says to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. Consider for me the freedom from vanity of the Evangelist, how he bears witness to Peter of the exactness of the search. For though he himself came first, and saw the linen clothes lying, he busies himself no further, but awaits Peter. But Peter, the most fervent, being come within, surveyed all things exactly; and so the other, entering in after him, saw the burial-clothes lying apart, and believed—not that the Lord was risen, but that He was stolen. For he believed the word of Mary, who said, “They have taken away the Lord.” And why did he believe Mary, and not reckon that He was risen? Because as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead; and for this cause they believed Mary, suspecting a theft and removal of the body. These, then, went away to themselves—that is, by themselves—having busied themselves no further. But Mary (for the female kind is full of feeling and given to tears) stands at the sepulchre and weeps. For since she had not Jesus, she looks at the place where the longed-for body had lain, from this alone finding comfort; whence also she is counted worthy of a greater vision than the disciples. For what they saw not, this she beheld—two angels, I mean. And the sight of the angels became to her the greatest comfort. For both their form was bright, and their sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, showed them to know something more, and, if asked, to be able to teach. And the saying, “Why do you weep?” is full of much sympathy. For lest she should be troubled, as a woman, by this question they restrain her trouble, asking thus sympathetically and gently, “Woman, why do you weep?” But she, full of feeling and at once full of love: “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she says, “therefore I weep; for I know not where they have removed him, that going there I might embrace the body, and find some moderate comfort.” But do you understand by Peter the practical and fervent, and by John the contemplative and apt for the knowledge of divine things. Oftentimes, then, the contemplative goes before in knowledge and aptitude, while the practical falls behind; yet nevertheless by his fervour and great earnestness he overcomes the other’s acuteness, and the practical first beholds some divine mystery. And does not such a thing happen also in learning? For there too, where there are two children, the duller and more earnest outstrips by his earnestness the quickness of the other’s nature. And in spiritual things also oftentimes the practical man, and unlearned in speech, has received some thought better than the contemplative. But also every soul that has gotten the mastery over the passions is called Mary. Being purified, then, through dispassion, she beholds Jesus, God and man together. For the angels, the one at the head and the other at the feet, signify the uttermost incarnation of the Word.

³ And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus says to her, Woman, why do you weep? whom do you seek? She, supposing him to be the gardener, says to him, Sir, if you have borne him hence, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus says to her, Mary. She turned herself, and says to him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus says to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things to her. Wherefore did Mary turn herself back? for she was conversing with the angels; what befell her, that she should turn back? It seems, then, that while she was conversing with the angels, Jesus, standing behind her, struck them with amazement, and they, beholding the Master, by their form, and their movement, and their look, showed straightway that they had seen the Lord; and the woman, seeing this, turned herself back. To the angels, then, He appeared perhaps in an awe-striking form, but to Mary no longer so, but in a mean and common form. Wherefore also she thought Him to be the gardener—of that garden, namely, in which the sepulchre was. Whence also she says, “Sir, if you have borne him hence”—that is, “If you have stolen him.” And she says not “Jesus,” but “him,” as making her speech to one that knew. “If you therefore have borne him, or taken him, and stolen him hence, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him, and remove him to another place, where he shall be magnificently buried.” For perhaps she feared lest the Jews should outrage even the dead body, and for this cause she wished to remove it to another unknown place. The woman’s mind, then, was loving, but not yet able to imagine anything lofty. Wherefore also the Lord, since she was not able of herself to conceive anything lofty, by His own voice makes Himself known to her. For having called only her name, He put into her, through this, knowledge. As to the Jews He was sometimes known, and sometimes unseen though present, so also, speaking, when He willed, then He made Himself known; even as now also, when He willed, then He made Himself known to Mary through His voice. For surely He had also before called to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” but the woman knew Him not; for Jesus willed it not. But when He willed, then through His voice He was recognized. “She turned herself, and says to him, Rabboni.” She had been speaking to Him, and saying, “Tell me where you have laid him”; and now the Evangelist says, “she turned herself.” It seems, then, that after she had said, “Where have you laid him?” she turned again to the angels, to ask perhaps why they were amazed; then Christ, calling her, both struck her by His voice, and turned her to Himself from them, and so, recognizing Him, she said, “Rabboni,” and wished to draw near to Him, and to be with Him as before, and perhaps to embrace Him as the longed-for one; but He, leading up her understanding, that she might conceive something higher concerning Him, and give heed to Him more reverently, said, “Touch me not”—that is, “Things are no longer in the same state as before, neither shall I in like manner be with you.” For though He said not this in words, yet it is so understood. “For I am about to ascend to my Father, and there I hasten. And to Him that hastens there, and no longer has such a body as to consort with man, one must give heed more reverently, and as to one greater than the common converse and touch, that is, the consorting.” And see how great a thought the Evangelist expressed concisely. For He said, “Touch me not”; then, as though one asked, “Wherefore?” “Because,” He says, “my body shall no more be such as to be at home on the earth, but in heaven and with the angels.” Then again, as though one rejoined, “And wherefore then do you walk on the earth, having such a body?” “For I am not yet ascended,” He says, “to my Father, but am about to ascend.” For this He shows through the words that follow, saying, “Go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father.” And yet He was not about to ascend straightway, but after forty days. How then says He this? Wishing to raise up her understanding, and to persuade her that He goes into the heavens, and by this to comfort her. And saying “brethren,” He added also “your Father.” For God is our Father also, but by grace; whereas of the Lord He is Father by nature. And again, “God,” on the contrary, of us indeed by nature, but of the Lord according to the human. For He became His God, as having taken up the human nature. Mary, then, goes away, counted worthy of such words, and tells these things to the disciples; so great a good is constancy and perseverance. Persevere you also, and perhaps you too shall learn something, and shall become a teacher of the disciples of the word.

⁴ Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace be to you. And when he had so said, he showed to them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and says to them, Receive you the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted to them; and whose soever sins you retain, they are retained. Since Mary had told these things to the disciples, and it was likely that they would either disbelieve her, or, believing, grieve that they themselves had not been counted worthy to see Him—for this cause on the same day He stands by them, thirsting indeed from hearing from the woman that He was risen, but fearing the Jews, and for this cause longing the more to see their only comfort. He stands by them, then, in the evening (that all might be gathered together), and the doors being shut, because He so rose, while the stone lay upon the tomb. And one might marvel how they thought Him not a phantom. Chiefly, then, the woman, having gone before, wrought much faith; and otherwise also, He showed them a gentle aspect, and at once by His voice calmed their tossing mind, saying, “Peace be to you”—that is, “Be not troubled.” And at once He reminds them of the word which before the cross He had spoken to them, “My peace I give to you.” And they were glad when they saw the Lord. For this also He foretold before the cross, that “I will see you, and your heart shall rejoice.” And since they had implacable war with the Jews, again He says to them, “Peace.” For as to the women He said, “Rejoice,” because the race was in sorrows, so to these He gives peace, because of the war which they had against them, and were all to have. Fittingly, then, to the women the “Rejoice,” for they were cursed to bring forth in sorrows; but to the men the “Be at peace,” because of the wars on account of the preaching. And at once He shows also the achievements of the cross; and these were the peace. Wherefore also, “Since,” He says, “through the cross peace has been achieved, I send you to the preaching.” And comforting them, and encouraging them, He says, “As my Father has sent me, even so send I you. For you take up my work; so be of good cheer, for I will be with you.” And see the authority: He said not, “Let him entreat my Father, and he will send you,” but, “I send you.” And He breathes on them, and gives them the Holy Ghost, not now bestowing on them the perfect gift of the Holy Spirit (for this He was about to give at Pentecost), but making them fit for the reception of the Spirit. For “Receive you the Holy Ghost” is instead of, “Become fit to receive the Spirit.” And one may say that He gave them a certain authority and spiritual grace, not so as to raise the dead and work powers, but so as to forgive sins. Wherefore also He added, “Whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted,” showing that He gave them this kind of spiritual gifts, namely the remission of sins; but after the ascension, the Spirit itself, coming down, lavished on them the powers both of signs and of every other gift. And it is worth inquiring wherefore He appears to the disciples not in Galilee, but in Jerusalem; and yet Matthew and Mark say that He promised to be seen by them in Galilee; how then does He appear in Jerusalem? Some say, then: “And what of this? For He said not, ‘In Galilee only shall I be seen of you, but in Jerusalem I shall not be seen’; so that this has the accusation of a rich liberality, not of falsehood.” Then, the being seen in Galilee He promises to all the disciples, not to the twelve only, but also to the seventy; but in Jerusalem He was seen of the twelve only. There is no disagreement, then, from hence. For to some He appeared in Galilee, and to others also in Jerusalem. For, many being the appearances, some wrote these, and some those; and where two Evangelists treat of the same matter, the second fills up by way of supplement what was said deficiently by the first. And consider for me the dignity of the priests, that it is divine; for it is of God to forgive sins. So then we must honour them, as being ministers of gifts, and as the grace works through them; nor does our unworthiness annul the grace; so that we must honour them.

⁵ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be to you. Then says he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God. Jesus says to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Thomas was not with the disciples; for it is likely that he had not yet gathered back from the dispersion. And what is “called Didymus”? This is the interpretation of “Thomas.” For as “Cephas” is interpreted “Peter,” so also “Thomas” is said, that is, interpreted, “Didymus.” And with reason he made mention of this interpretation of the name, that he might show us that he was a doubting kind of man, and from above and from the beginning had such a character, as the name also shows. And he disbelieved the other disciples when they told the things of the Lord, not as accounting them liars, but reckoning the thing of the resurrection to be impossible; wherefore also he is called, as beyond measure over-curious. For as easy believing is of lightness, so the strong gainsaying is of rusticity and grossness. And see how he believes not even his eyes, but adds also the “Except I thrust my hand.” And whence knew he that the side had prints? Having heard it from the disciples. And wherefore appears He not to him straightway, but after eight days? That, being catechized in the meanwhile by his fellow disciples, and hearing the same things, he might be kindled with more longing, and become more faithful for the time to come. And the Master, wishing to show that He was present even then, when Thomas was uttering the words of unbelief to his fellow disciples, awaits not to hear any such thing from him, but Himself, anticipating, fulfills what Thomas desired, for He used also his very words. And see: at first He rebukes him, as over-curious, “Reach here your hand”; but afterward He admonishes, “Be not,” He says, “faithless, but believing.” Whence it is plain that the doubt was of unbelief; and they do but vainly grant a favour to Thomas, who say that of exactness, and not lightly, he believed. For behold, the Lord calls him faithless. And see the formerly faithless one, how, from touching the side, he was shown the best of theologians. For he taught the two natures and the one hypostasis of the one Christ: in saying “My Lord,” the human nature (for among men also the “Lord” is said, as, “Sir, if you have borne him”); and in saying “My God,” the divine essence; yet that one and the same is both Lord and God. And the Lord, showing us that this is of faith, namely to receive the things not seen, says, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” And He hints here at the disciples, who, neither having seen the print of the nails, nor having felt the side, believed; and not those only, but also them that should believe thereafter. And He said this not depriving Thomas of blessedness, but comforting them that have not seen. For since many say, “Blessed are the eyes that saw the Lord,” He comforts these, that this is rather blessed, to have believed without seeing. And how was an incorruptible body shown to have prints, and became tangible to a human hand? Because all these things were a condescension. For that which entered when the doors were shut, and was so subtle and light, was freed from all grossness. That the resurrection, then, might be believed, He shows these things; and for this cause He rises having the signs of the cross and the wounds. Since also that which He ate, He ate not from necessity of body, but for the confirmation of the resurrection. As therefore before the cross, walking upon the waves, He had not a body of another nature, so now also He shows it tangible and having prints; yet He bears it about incorruptible, even though tangible and visible. For these things are shown for confirmation, but not by necessity and law of body. For everything that is eaten passes into the draught, and is changed; which after the resurrection was not so in Christ, but by a certain invisible and divine power the things eaten were consumed, being taken only for the confirmation of the resurrection. And see how, for the sake of one man, Thomas, He condescended to show Himself, that He might save one disbelieving soul. So is He mindful even of the least.

⁶ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name. Concerning what kind of signs does the Evangelist here speak? Of those before the cross? No, but of those after the resurrection. For he adds, “He did in the presence of his disciples”; whereas the things before the cross He did not in the presence of the disciples only, but of all. So that these of which the Evangelist now speaks are those after the resurrection. For dwelling with the disciples alone through forty days, He showed signs of the resurrection. For as before the cross He wrought signs, showing Himself to be the Son of God, so after the resurrection He wrought signs in the presence of the disciples, showing Himself to be the Son of man—that is, bearing a body, even though incorruptible, and more godlike, and no longer subject to fleshly laws. Many signs, then, of the resurrection having come to pass, these only are written; and not even these for the sake of ostentation, or of an addition to the glory of the Only-begotten, but “That you,” He says, “might believe.” And what is the gain, and to whom does it turn? Not to Christ (for what gain to Him from our believing?), but it returns to your own selves. “For that believing,” He says, “you might have life through his name.” For believing that He is risen, and lives, we win life for ourselves. For for our sakes He rose and lives. But he that believes neither that He rose nor that He lives, works for himself his own deadening and corruption. [Headings of what follows:] Concerning the manifestation of Jesus after the resurrection to Peter, and to others fishing upon the sea of Tiberias. Concerning that which was said to Peter, Feed my sheep.