Church Fathers Commentary John 7:1-8

"And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up unto this feast; because my time is not yet fulfilled." — John 7:1-8 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: As the believer in Christ would in time have to hide from persecution, so that no guilt might attach to such concealment, the Head began by doing Himself what He sanctioned in His members. Thus, After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

The Venerable Bede: The connection of this passage allows for much to have taken place in the preceding interval. Judea and Galilee are divisions of the province of Palestine. Judea has its name from the tribe of Judah, but it embraces not only the territories of Judah but also of Benjamin, all of which were called Judea because Judah was the royal tribe. Galilee has its name from the milky—that is, white—color of its inhabitants, as Galilee is Greek for milk.

St. Augustine of Hippo: This does not mean that our Lord could not walk among the Jews and escape being killed, for He had this power whenever He chose to show it. Rather, He set an example by doing so as an accommodation to our weakness. He had not lost His power, but He accommodated our frailty.

St. John Chrysostom: That is to say, He displayed the attributes of both divinity and humanity. He fled from His persecutors as a man; He remained and appeared among them as God, being truly both.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He also withdrew to Galilee at this time because the hour of His passion had not yet come, and He thought it useless to stay in the midst of His enemies when the only effect would have been to irritate them more. The time at which this happened is then given: Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

St. Augustine of Hippo: We read in the Scriptures what the Feast of Tabernacles is. During this festival, they used to make tents like those they lived in during their journey in the desert after their departure from Egypt. They celebrated this feast in commemoration of the good things the Lord had done for them, even though they were the very people who were about to slay the Lord. It is called the day of the feast, even though it lasted for many days.

St. John Chrysostom: It appears here that a considerable time had passed since the last events. For when our Lord sat upon the mount, it was near the Feast of the Passover, and now it is the Feast of Tabernacles. In the five intervening months, the Evangelist has related nothing but the miracle of the loaves and the conversation with those who ate them.

Since our Lord was unceasingly working miracles and holding discussions with people, the Evangelists could not relate everything. Instead, they aimed to report those events that were followed by complaint or opposition from the Jews, as was the case here.

Theophylact of Ohrid: His brothers saw that He was not preparing to go to the feast. His brothers, therefore, said to Him, Depart from here and go into Judea.

The Venerable Bede: They meant to say, "You perform miracles, and only a few see them. Go to the royal city where the rulers are, so that they may see Your miracles and you may obtain praise." And since our Lord had not brought all His disciples with Him but had left many behind in Judea, they added, that Your disciples also may see the works that You do.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That is, the multitudes that follow You. They do not mean the Twelve, but the others who had contact with Him.

St. Augustine of Hippo: When you hear of our Lord’s brothers, you must understand them to be Mary’s relatives, not her children born after our Lord’s birth. For just as the body of our Lord lay in the tomb only once—and never before or after—so the womb of Mary could not possibly have conceived any other mortal child.

Our Lord’s works were not hidden from His disciples, but they were hidden from His brothers, which explains their suggestion: that Your disciples may see the works that You do. They speak according to the wisdom of the flesh to the Word who was made flesh, and add, For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.

This was as if to say, "You perform miracles; do them in the sight of the world, so that the world may honor You." Their advice aims at securing glory for Him, and this very thing—namely, aiming at human glory—proved that they did not believe in Him, as we next read: For not even His brothers believed in Him. They were Christ’s relatives, but for that very reason they were disinclined to believe in Him.

St. John Chrysostom: It is striking to observe the great sincerity of the Evangelists, for they are not ashamed to mention things that appear to be to our Lord’s disadvantage, but take particular care to report them. It is a significant reflection on our Lord that His own brothers did not believe in Him.

The beginning of their speech has a friendly appearance, but there is much bitterness in it, as they charge Him with motives of fear and vainglory. "No one," they say, "does anything in secret": this was a tacit reproach for His fear and an insinuation that His miracles had not been real or substantial. In what follows, "while he himself seeks to be known openly," they taunt Him with a love of glory.

Christ, however, answers them mildly, teaching us not to react angrily to the advice of people, even those far inferior to ourselves. Then Jesus said to them, "My time is not yet come, but your time is always ready."

The Venerable Bede: This does not contradict what the Apostle says: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son. Our Lord is referring here not to the time of His birth, but to the time of His glorification.

St. Augustine of Hippo: They advised Him to pursue glory and not to remain in concealment and obscurity, appealing entirely to worldly and secular motives. But our Lord was laying down another path to that very exaltation: namely, humility.

"My time," He says—that is, the time of My glory, when I will come to judge on high—"is not yet come; but your time"—that is, the glory of the world—"is always ready." And let us, who are the Lord’s body, say when we are insulted by the lovers of this world, "Your time is ready; our time has not yet come." Our homeland is a lofty one; the way to it is low. Whoever rejects the way, why should he seek the homeland?

St. John Chrysostom: Or, there seems to be another meaning concealed in these words. Perhaps they intended to betray Him to the Jews, and therefore He says, "My time is not yet come"—that is, the time of My cross and death—"but your time is always ready."

This is because even though you are always with the Jews, they will not kill you, because you are of the same mind as they are. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. It is as if He said, "How can the world hate those who have the same wishes and aims as it does? It hates Me because I reprove it."

Therefore, I do not seek glory from men, since I do not hesitate to reprove them, even though I know that I am hated as a consequence and that my life is sought. Here we see that the hatred of the Jews was due to His reproofs, not to His breaking the Sabbath.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord brings two arguments in response to their two charges. To the charge of fear, He answers that He reproves the deeds of the world—that is, of those who love worldly things—which He would not do if He were under the influence of fear. He replies to the charge of vainglory by sending them to the feast: Go you up to this feast. If He had been possessed at all by the desire for glory, He would have kept them with Him, for the vainglorious like to have many followers.

St. John Chrysostom: This also shows that while He does not wish to humor them, He still allows them to observe the Jewish ordinances.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or He seems to say, "Go you up to this feast," and seek human glory, expand your carnal pleasures, and forget heavenly things.

St. John Chrysostom: That is, not with you, for My time is not yet full come. It was at the next Passover that He was to be crucified.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, "My time"—that is, the time of My glory—"is not yet come." That will be My feast day; not a day that passes and is gone like holidays here, but one that remains forever. Then there will be festivity: joy without end, eternity without stain, and sunshine without a cloud.