Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 6

1. The Evangelist has presented the teaching of Christ on the spiritual life, by which he gives life to those who are born again. He now tells us of the spiritual food by which Christ sustains those to whom he has given life.

   First, he describes a visible miracle in which Christ provided bodily food.

   Second, he considers spiritual food, beginning where Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles...” (John 6:26).

   Regarding the first point, he does two things.

   First, he describes the visible miracle concerning bodily nourishment.

   Second, he shows the effect this miracle had: Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done... (John 6:14).

   Concerning the miracle, he tells us two things.

   First, its circumstances.

   Second, its actual accomplishment: When Jesus had lifted up his eyes...

   As to the circumstances, he does three things.

   First, he describes the crowd that Jesus fed.

   Second, he notes the place: Jesus therefore went up into a mountain.

   Third, he gives the time: Now the Pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand.

   Regarding the crowd, he does three things.

   First, he identifies the place where the crowd followed Jesus.

   Second, he describes the people who followed him.

   Third, he tells why they followed him.

2. The Evangelist describes the place to which the crowd followed our Lord when he says, After these things, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, that is, after the mysterious words Jesus had spoken concerning his power.

   This Sea of Galilee is mentioned frequently in various places in Scripture. Luke calls it a lake (Luke 5:1) because its water is not salty but was formed from the waters flowing in from the Jordan. Yet it is still called a Sea, because in Hebrew all bodies of water are called seas: God called the waters ‘seas’ (Genesis 1:10). It is also called Gennesaret because of the character of its location, for this water is tossed about a great deal, being buffeted by the winds that come from the vapors rising from its surface. Thus in Greek the word Gennesaret means ‘wind forming.’

   It is called the Sea of Galilee from the province of Galilee in which it is located. Again, it is called the Sea of Tiberias from the city of Tiberias. This city was situated on one side of the sea, facing Capernaum on the opposite side. The city of Tiberias was formerly called Chinnereth, but later, when it was rebuilt by Herod the Tetrarch, it was renamed Tiberias in honor of Tiberius Caesar.

3. The literal reason why Jesus crossed the sea is given by Chrysostom: to yield to the anger and agitation which the Jews felt against Christ because of the things he had said about them. As Chrysostom says, just as darts strike a hard object with great force if they meet it, but pass on and soon come to rest if nothing is in their way, so also the anger of defiant men increases when they are resisted. But if we yield a little, it is easy to keep their fury within bounds. So Christ, by going to the other side of the sea, was able to soften the anger of the Jews caused by what he had said. He thus gives us an example to act in the same way: Do not be provoked by one who speaks evil of you .

4. In the mystical sense, the sea signifies this present, troubled world: this great sea, stretching wide (Psalms 103:25).

   Our Lord crossed over this sea when he assumed the sea of punishment and death by being born, trod it underfoot by dying, and then, crossing over it by his rising, arrived at the glory of his resurrection. We read of this crossing: Jesus, knowing that his hour had come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father... (John 13:1).

   A great crowd, composed of both peoples, has followed him in this crossing by believing in him and imitating him: Your heart will be full of wonder and joy, when the riches of the sea will be given to you (Isaiah 60:5); Rise up, O Lord, you who demand that justice be done; and the people will gather round you (Psalms 7:7).

5. The crowd that followed him is described as large: and a great multitude followed him.

6. The reason they followed him is because he was performing miracles; hence the text says, because they saw the miracles that he performed on those who were diseased.

   We should point out that some followed Christ because of his teachings; these were the ones who were better disposed. But there were others, who were less perfect and less perceptive, who followed him because they were attracted by visible miracles; signs were given to unbelievers, not to believers (1 Corinthians 14:22). Still others followed him out of devotion and faith, namely, those whom he had cured of some bodily defect. For our Lord had so healed their bodies that they were also completely healed in soul: the works of God are perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4). This is clear, because he expressly said to the paralytic, Sin no more (John 5:14), and it is said, Son, your sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:2). These remarks concern the health of the soul rather than that of the body.

7. We might remark that although the Evangelist had mentioned only three miracles—the one at the wedding reception, the son of the official, and the paralytic—he says here in a general way, the miracles he performed. He does this to indicate that Christ worked many other miracles that are not mentioned in this book (John 21:25), for his main object was to present the teaching of Christ.

8. Then he gives the location of the miracle, on a mountain; hence he says, Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, that is, privately, and he sat there with his disciples. Now a mountain is a place well suited for refreshment, for according to the Psalm, a mountain signifies the perfection of justice: Your justice is like the mountains of God (Psalms 36:6). And so, because we cannot be satisfied by earthly things—indeed, whoever drinks this water will thirst again (John 4:13)—but spiritual things will satisfy us, our Lord leads his disciples to a higher place to show that full satisfaction and the perfection of justice are found in spiritual realities. We read of this mountain: The mountain of God is a rich mountain (Psalms 68:15). Thus he also exercised his office of teacher there, sitting with his disciples, for he is the one who teaches every person.

9. The time is mentioned when he says, Now the Pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. This time was also well suited for their refreshment, for Pasch means “passage”: It is the Passover of the Lord, that is, his passage (Exodus 12:11). We understand from this that anyone who desires to be refreshed by the bread of the divine Word and by the body and blood of the Lord must pass from vices to virtues: Our Passover, Christ, has been sacrificed, and so let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7). And again, divine wisdom says: Pass over to me, all who desire me .

   This is the second Passover the Evangelist has mentioned. However, our Lord did not go to Jerusalem this time, as the law commanded. The reason for this is that Christ was both God and man: as man he was subject to the law, but as God he was above the law. So, he observed the law on certain occasions to show that he was a man, but he also disregarded the law at other times to show that he was God. Furthermore, by not going, he indicated that the ceremonies of the law would end gradually and in a short time.

10. Then he considers the miracle itself, at When Jesus had lifted up his eyes, and saw that a very great multitude came to him...

    First, he explains why it was needed.

    Second, he describes its accomplishment, at Then Jesus said, “Make the men sit down.”

    We can see the need for this miracle from our Lord’s question to his disciple and the disciple’s answer.

    First, our Lord’s question is given.

    Then, the answer of his disciple is given, at Philip answered him.

    Regarding the question, he does three things.

    First, the occasion for the question is given.

    Second, we have the question itself.

    Third, we are told why Christ asked this question.

11. The occasion for Christ’s question was his sight of the crowd coming to him. Hence he says, When Jesus, on the mountain with his disciples (that is, with those who were more perfect), had lifted up his eyes and saw that a very great multitude came to him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that they may eat?” Here we should note two things about Christ.

    First is his maturity, for he is not distracted by what does not concern him but is appropriately concerned with his disciples. He is not like those spoken of: a generation whose eyes are proud (Proverbs 30:13). And: A man’s dress, and laughter, and his walk, show what he is .

    Second, we should note that Christ did not sit there with his disciples out of laziness; he was looking right at them, teaching them carefully and attracting their hearts to himself: Then he lifted his eyes to his disciples (Luke 6:20). Thus we read: When Jesus had lifted up his eyes.

    In the mystical sense, our Lord’s eyes are his spiritual gifts. He lifts his eyes on the elect—that is, looks at them with compassion—when he mercifully grants these gifts to them. This is what the Psalm asks for: Look upon me, O Lord, and have mercy on me (Psalms 86:16).

12. Our Lord’s question concerns the feeding of the crowd: He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that they may eat?” He assumes one thing and asks about another. He assumes their poverty, because they did not have food to offer this great crowd, and he asks how they might obtain it, saying, Where shall we buy bread that they may eat?

    Here we should note that every teacher is obliged to possess the means of spiritually feeding the people who come to him. And since no one possesses in himself the resources to feed them, he must acquire them elsewhere by his labor, study, and persistent prayer: Hurry, you who have no money, and acquire without cost wine and milk (Isaiah 55:1). And there follows: Why do you spend your money—that is, your eloquence—for what is not bread—that is, not the true wisdom which refreshes, for wisdom will feed him with the bread of life and understanding ()—and why do you work for what does not satisfy you?—that is, by learning things that drain you instead of filling you.

13. Our Lord’s intention is given when the text says, And he said this testing him. Here the Evangelist raises one difficulty in answering another.

    We could wonder why our Lord asked Philip what to do, as though our Lord himself did not know. The Evangelist settles this when he says, for he himself knew what he would do. But it seems that the Evangelist raises another difficulty when he says, testing him. For to test is to try out, and this seems to imply ignorance.

    I answer that one can test another in various ways. One person tests another in order to learn. The devil tests a person in order to ensnare him: Your enemy, the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). But Christ our God does not test us in order to learn, because he sees into our hearts, nor in order to ensnare us: God does not test anyone (James 1:13). Rather, he tests us so that others might learn something from the one tested. This is the way God tested Abraham: God tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1). And then it says, Now I know that you fear God, that is, “I have made it known that you fear the Lord” (Genesis 22:12). He tests Philip in the same way: so that those who hear his answer might be very certain about the miracle to come.

14. Now we have the answer of the disciples, when he says, Philip answered him.

    First is the answer of Philip.

    Then comes that of Andrew, at One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him.

15. With respect to the first, note that Philip was slower in learning than the others, and so he asks our Lord more questions: Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us (John 14:8). Here, according to the literal sense, Andrew is better disposed than Philip, for Philip does not seem to have any understanding or anticipation of the coming miracle. And so he suggests that money is the way by which they could feed all the people, saying, Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each one may take a little. And since we do not have that much, we cannot feed them. Here we see the poverty of Christ, for he did not even have two hundred denarii.

16. Andrew, however, seems to sense that a miracle is going to take place. Perhaps he recalled the miracle performed by Elisha with the barley loaves, when he fed a hundred men with twenty loaves (2 Kings 4:42). And so he says, There is a boy here who has five barley loaves. Still, he did not suspect that Christ was going to perform a greater miracle than Elisha, for he thought that fewer loaves would be miraculously produced from fewer, and more from a larger number. But in truth, he who does not need any material to work with could feed a crowd as easily with few or many loaves. So Andrew continues, But what are these among so many? As if to say, “Even if you increased them in the measure that Elisha did, it still would not be enough.”

17. In the mystical sense, wisdom is a symbol for spiritual refreshment. One kind of wisdom was taught by Christ, the true wisdom: Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). Before Christ came, there were two other teachings or doctrines: one was the human teachings of the philosophers, and the other was the teachings found in the written law.

    Philip mentions the first of these when he speaks of buying: Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for human wisdom must be acquired. The number one hundred implies perfection. Thus, two hundred suggests the twofold perfection necessary for this wisdom, for there are two ways one arrives at the perfection of human wisdom: by experience and by contemplation. So he says, two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, because no matter what human reason can experience and contemplate of the truth, it is not enough to completely satisfy our desire for wisdom: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this: that he knows and understands me (Jeremiah 9:23–24). For the wisdom of no philosopher has been so great that it could keep people from error; rather, the philosophers have led many into error.

    It is Andrew who mentions the second kind of teaching. He does not want to buy other bread but to feed the crowd with the loaves they had, that is, those contained in the law. And so he was better disposed than Philip. He says, There is a boy here who has five barley loaves. This boy can symbolize Moses, because of the imperfection found in the state of the law—the law brought nothing to perfection (Hebrews 7:19)—or the Jewish people, who were serving under the elements of this world (Galatians 4:3). This boy had five loaves, that is, the teaching of the law, either because this teaching was contained in the five books of Moses—the law was given through Moses (John 1:17)—or because it was given to people absorbed in sensible things, which are made known through the five senses.

    These loaves were of barley because the law was given in such a way that what was life-giving in it was concealed under physical signs, for the kernel in barley is covered with a very firm husk. Or, the loaves were of barley because the Jewish people had not yet been rubbed free of carnal desire, but it still covered their hearts like a husk. For in the Old Testament they outwardly experienced hardships because of their ceremonial observances: a yoke, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear (Acts 15:10). Furthermore, the Jews were engrossed in material things and did not understand the spiritual meaning of the law: A veil is over their hearts (2 Corinthians 3:15).

    The two fishes, which gave a pleasant flavor to the bread, indicate the teachings of the Psalms and the prophets. Thus the old law not only had five loaves (the five books of Moses) but also two fishes (the Psalms and the prophets). So the Old Testament writings are divided into these three: the things written about me in the law of Moses, and in the prophets and in the Psalms (Luke 24:44). Or, according to Augustine, the two fishes signify the priests and kings who ruled the Jews, and they prefigured Christ, who was the true king and priest. But what are these among so many? For they could not bring humanity to a complete knowledge of the truth, because although God was known in Judea, the Gentiles did not know him.

18. Next, at Then Jesus said, the miracle is presented.

    First, we see the people arranged.

    Second, the miracle itself is described, at And Jesus took the loaves.

    Third, the gathering of the leftovers is shown, at And when they were filled he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments.”

    Regarding the first point, he does three things.

    First, he shows Christ directing the disciples to have the people recline.

    Second, he explains why this was appropriate.

    Third, he tells us the number of people present.

19. Our Lord told his disciples to arrange the people so that they could eat; thus Jesus says, Make the men sit down, that is, to eat. For as mentioned before, in former times people took their meals lying on couches; consequently, it was the custom to say of those who sat down to eat that they were reclining.

    In the mystical sense, this indicates the rest that is necessary for the perfection of wisdom: He that is less in action shall receive wisdom . Again, the people are prepared by the disciples because it is through the disciples that the knowledge of the truth has come to us: Let the mountains receive peace for the people (Psalms 72:3).

20. The character of the place shows why it was convenient that they recline: Now there was much grass in the place. This is the literal meaning.

    In the mystical sense, grass indicates the flesh: All flesh is grass (Isaiah 40:6). In this sense it can refer to two things. First, to the teachings of the Old Testament, which were given to a people resting in things of the flesh and wise according to the flesh: If you are willing, and listen to me, you will eat the good things of the land (Isaiah 1:19); The posterity of Jacob dwells in a land of grain, wine and oil (Deuteronomy 33:28). Or, it can refer to one who perceives true wisdom, which cannot be attained without first abandoning the things of the flesh: Do not imitate this world (Romans 12:2).

21. There was a great number of people; thus he says, The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. The Evangelist counted only the men, according to the custom in the law, for as mentioned, Moses counted the people who were twenty years and older, without including the women (Numbers 1:3). The Evangelist does the same, because only men can be completely instructed: We speak wisdom to those who are mature (1 Corinthians 2:6); Solid food is for the mature (Hebrews 5:14).

22. Then, at And Jesus took the loaves, the Evangelist presents the feeding of the crowd. First, we see the attitude of Christ; second, the food used; and third, that the people were satisfied.

    As to the attitude of Jesus, both his humility and his giving of thanks are mentioned.

23. We see his humility because he took the bread and gave it to the people. Now although in this miracle Christ could have fed the people with bread created from nothing, he chose to do so by multiplying bread that already existed. He did this, first, to show that sensible things do not come from the devil, as the Manichean error maintains. For if this were so, our Lord would not have used sensible things to praise God, especially since the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

    He did it, second, to show that they are also wrong in claiming that the teachings of the Old Testament are not from God but from the devil. Thus, to show that the doctrine of the New Testament is none other than that which was prefigured and contained in the teachings of the Old Testament, he multiplied bread that already existed. He implied by this that he is the one who fulfills the law and brings it to perfection: I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).

24. We see that he gave thanks, when it says he had given thanks. He did this to show that whatever he had, he had from another, that is, from his Father. This is an example for us to do the same. More particularly, he gave thanks to teach us that we should thank God when we begin a meal: Nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4); The poor will eat and be satisfied; and they will praise the Lord (Psalms 22:26).

    Again, he gave thanks to teach us that he was not praying for himself, but for the people who were there, for he had to convince them that he had come from God. Accordingly, he prays before he works this miracle before them, in order to show them that he is not acting against God, but according to God’s will.

    We read elsewhere that Christ had the apostles distribute the bread to the people (Mark 6:41). It says here that he distributed it because, in a way, he himself does what he does by means of others. In the mystical sense, both statements are true, for Christ alone refreshes from within, and others, as his ministers, refresh from without.

25. Their food was bread and fish, about which enough has been said above.

    Finally, those who ate were completely satisfied, because they took as much as they wanted. For Christ is the only one who feeds an empty soul and fills a hungry soul with good things: I will be satisfied when your glory appears (Psalms 17:15). Others perform miracles through having grace in a partial manner; Christ, on the other hand, does so with unlimited power, since he does all things superabundantly. Hence it says that they were filled.

26. Now we see the leftovers collected, at And when they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost.”

    First, Christ gives the order.

    Second, his disciples obey, at They gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments.

27. The Evangelist says that when they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments that are left over.” This was not a pretentious display on our Lord’s part. He did it to show that the miracle he accomplished was not imaginary, since the collected leftovers could be kept for some time and provide food for others.

    Again, he wanted to impress this miracle more firmly on the hearts of his disciples, whom he had carry the leftovers, for most of all he wanted to teach his disciples, who were destined to be the teachers of the entire world.

28. His disciples obeyed him faithfully; hence the text says, They gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained after they had eaten.

    Here we should note that the amount of food that remained was not left to chance but was according to plan, for as much as Christ willed was left over, no more and no less. This is shown by the fact that the basket of each apostle was filled. Now a basket is reserved for the work of peasants. Therefore, the twelve baskets signify the twelve apostles and those who imitate them, who, although they are looked down upon in this present life, are nevertheless filled with the riches of spiritual sacraments. There are twelve because they were to preach the faith of the Holy Trinity to the four parts of the world.

1. Previously, the Evangelist told us about the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Now he shows the threefold effect this miracle had on the people:

1. Its effect on their faith.
2. Its effect on their plans to honor Jesus, in the phrase Jesus therefore, when he knew.
3. How it led them to search for Jesus, in the phrase and when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.

2. Regarding the first effect, we should note that the Jews said in the Psalm: we have not seen our signs; there is now no prophet (Psalms 73:9). It was customary in earlier days for the prophets to perform many signs; so, when these signs were absent, prophecy seemed to have ended. But when the Jews saw such signs, they believed that prophecy was returning.

As a result, the people were so impressed by this miracle they had just seen that they called our Lord a prophet. Thus we read that now those men, who had been filled with the five loaves, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: this is truly the prophet. However, they did not yet have perfect faith, for they believed that Jesus was only a prophet, while he was also the Lord of the prophets. Yet, they were not entirely wrong, because our Lord also called himself a prophet.

3. Here we should note that a prophet is also called a seer: he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer (1 Samuel 9:9). Furthermore, seeing relates to the cognitive power. In Christ, there were three kinds of knowledge:

1. First, there was sense knowledge. In this respect, he had some similarity to the prophets, in that sensible images could be formed in Christ’s imagination to present future or hidden events. This was especially due to his passibility, which was appropriate to his state as a wayfarer.
2. Second, Christ had intellectual knowledge. In this, he was not like the prophets but was even superior to all the angels, for he was a comprehensor in a more excellent way than any creature.
3. Third, Christ had divine knowledge. In this way, he was the one who inspired the prophets and the angels, since all knowledge is caused by a participation in the divine Word.

Still, these people seemed to realize that Christ was a superior prophet, for they said, this is truly the prophet. Although there had been many prophets among the Jews, they were waiting for a particular one, according to the scripture: the Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you (Deuteronomy 18:15). This is the one they are speaking of here; thus the passage continues, who is to come into the world.

4. Next, in the phrase Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to seize him and make him king, we see the second effect of Christ’s miracle: the honor the people planned for Christ, which he refused. This involves two parts:

1. The attempt by the people.
2. Christ’s flight from them.

5. The people’s attempt is mentioned in the words, they would come to seize him and make him king. A person or thing is seized if it is taken in a way that is unwilling or not at the appropriate time. It is true that God’s plan from all eternity had been to establish the kingdom of Christ, but the time for this was not then appropriate. Christ had come, but not to reign in the way we ask for when we pray, your kingdom come (Matthew 6:10); at that future time, he will reign even as a man. Another time was reserved for this: after the judgment, when the saints will appear in glory. It was about this kingdom that the disciples asked, Lord, will you restore the kingdom to Israel at this time? (Acts 1:6).

So the people, thinking he had come to reign, wanted to make him their king. The reason for this is that people often want a ruler who will provide them with temporal things. Because our Lord had fed them, they were willing to make him their king: you have a mantle, be our ruler (Isaiah 3:6). As Chrysostom says: See the power of gluttony. They are no longer concerned about his breaking the Sabbath; they are no longer zealous for God. All these things are set in the background now that their bellies are full. Now he is regarded as a prophet among them, and they want to set him on the royal throne as their king.

6. We see Christ’s flight in the words, he fled again into the mountain himself alone. From this, we can see that when our Lord first saw the crowd, he came down from the mountain and fed them in the valley, for we would not read that he went up again into the mountain if he had not first come down from it.

Why did Christ flee from the people, since he really is a king? There are three reasons:

1. It would have diminished his dignity to have accepted a kingdom from men, for he is so great a king that all other kings rule by participating in his kingship: it is by me that kings rule (Proverbs 8:15).
2. It would have been harmful to his teaching if he had accepted this dignity and support from men. He worked and taught in such a way that everything was attributed to divine power, not human influence: I do not receive glory from men (John 5:41).
3. He did it to teach us to despise the dignities of this world: I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also (John 13:15); do not seek dignity from men .

And so, he refused the glory of this world but still endured its punishment of his own will: Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2).

7. Matthew seems to conflict with this, for he says that Jesus went up the mountain alone, to pray (Matthew 14:23). However, in Augustine’s opinion, there is no conflict here, because Christ had reason both to flee and to pray. Our Lord is teaching us that when a reason for flight draws near, there is also great reason to pray.

In the mystical sense, Christ went up into the mountain when the people he had fed were ready to submit to him, just as he went up into heaven when the people were ready to submit to the truth of the faith, according to the Psalm: a congregation of people will surround you. Return above for their sakes—that is, return on high so a congregation of people may surround you (Psalms 7:8).

The text says that Christ fled to indicate that the people could not understand his grandeur, for if we do not understand something, we say that it flees or eludes us.

8. Now the Evangelist considers the third effect of Christ’s miracle: the search for Christ. This search was conducted:

1. By his disciples.
2. By the people, as seen in the passage, the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea (John 6:22).

Regarding the disciples’ search, two points are made:

1. Their eagerness is described.
2. This eagerness is elaborated on, in the phrase and it was now dark.

Regarding their eagerness, two actions are mentioned:

1. They went down to the shore.
2. They journeyed across the sea, in the phrase and when they had gone up into the ship.

9. Regarding the first point, note that Christ went up into the mountain without his disciples’ knowledge. They waited there until evening, expecting him to return. But their love was so great that when evening came, they had to go looking for him. Thus the text says, when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.

In the mystical sense, evening signifies our Lord’s passion or his ascension. As long as the disciples enjoyed Christ’s physical presence, no trouble disturbed them and no bitterness troubled them: can the friends of the groom mourn as long as the groom is with them? (Matthew 9:15). But when Christ was away, they went down to the sea—that is, into the troubles of this world: this great sea, stretching wide (Psalms 103:25).

10. The Evangelist adds that they crossed the sea, saying, and when they had gone up into the ship, they went across the sea to Capernaum, for the love that burned within them could not endure our Lord’s absence for very long.

11. Now, with the words and it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them, he elaborates on what he had already said in summary. He expands on:

1. Their going down to the sea.
2. Their crossing, in the phrase and the sea arose.

12. Regarding their going down to the sea, the text says, it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. The Evangelist does not tell us this without reason, for it shows the intensity of their love, since not even night could stop them.

In the mystical sense, the dark signifies the absence of love, for light is love, according to the scripture: he who loves his brother dwells in the light (1 John 2:10). Accordingly, there is darkness in us when Jesus, the true light (John 1:9), does not come to us, because his presence repels all darkness.

Jesus left his disciples alone for this length of time for two reasons. First, so that they might experience his absence, which they did during the storm at sea: know and realize that it is evil and bitter for you to have left the Lord (Jeremiah 2:19). Second, he left them so that they might look for him more earnestly: where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? We will search for him with you (Song of Solomon 5:17).

13. Regarding their crossing, in the phrase and the sea arose, we see three things:

1. The storm at sea.
2. Christ coming to them, and the time of his coming, at when they had rowed twenty-five or thirty stadia.
3. The effect this had on them, at and they were afraid.

14. The storm was caused by a strong wind; thus the text says, the sea arose by a great blowing wind. This wind is a symbol for the trials and persecutions that would afflict the Church due to a lack of love. As Augustine says, when love grows cold, the waves of the sea begin to swell and danger threatens the boat. Still, these winds and the storm, with its waves and darkness, did not stop the boat’s progress or batter it so much that it broke apart: he who perseveres to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13); and again, and the rains fell, and the floods came, and the house did not collapse (Matthew 7:25).

15. Christ did not appear to them when the storm first began, but only some time later. Thus the text says, after they had rowed twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus. We see from this that our Lord allows us to be troubled for a while so our virtue may be tested, but he does not desert us in the end. Instead, he comes very close to us: God is faithful, and will not allow you to be tested beyond your strength; but will also make a way out with the temptation, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

According to Augustine, the twenty-five stadia they rowed represent the five books of Moses. Twenty-five is the square of five (5 x 5 = 25), and a number multiplied in this way keeps the meaning of its root. Thus, just as five signifies the Old Law, so twenty-five signifies the perfection of the New Testament. Thirty, however, signifies that perfection of the New Testament which was lacking in the Law, for thirty is the result of multiplying five by six, which is a perfect number.

So, Jesus comes to those who row twenty-five or thirty stadia—that is, to those who fulfill the Law or the perfection taught by the Gospel. He comes treading underfoot all the waves of pride and the dignities of this present world: you rule the might of the sea and calm its waves (Psalms 88:10). And then we will see Christ near our boat, because divine help is close: the Lord is near to all who fear him (Psalms 144:18). Thus it is clear that Christ is near to all who seek him rightly. The Apostles loved Christ very keenly, which is obvious because they tried to go to him despite the darkness, the stormy sea, and the distance to shore. Consequently, Christ was with them.

16. Now we see the effect of Christ’s appearance, in the words, and they were afraid. But he said to them: It is I; do not be afraid. There was:

1. An interior effect.
2. An exterior effect, seen in the phrase and presently the ship was at the land.

17. The interior effect of Christ’s appearance was fear. The Evangelist mentions the disciples’ fear at Christ’s sudden appearance when he says, and they were afraid. This could have been a good fear, arising from humility (do not be proud; rather fear, Romans 11:20), or it could have been a bad fear, because they thought it was a ghost (Mark 6:49) and they trembled with fear (Psalms 13:5). Fear is especially characteristic of the carnal, who are afraid of spiritual things.

Next, we see Christ encouraging them against two dangers. First, he encourages them against the danger to their faith by saying, it is I, to eliminate their doubts: look at my hands and my feet! It is really me (Luke 24:39). Second, Christ encourages them against the danger of fear in their emotions, saying, do not be afraid: do not be afraid when they are present (Jeremiah 1:8); the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? (Psalms 26:1).

Finally, we see the disciples’ reaction, for they then wanted to take him into the ship. This signifies that we receive Christ by love and contemplation after servile fear has been removed from our hearts: I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens it for me, I will enter (Revelation 3:20).

18. There were two exterior effects: the storm subsided, and their boat suddenly landed, even though it had just been far from the shore. Our Lord gave them a calm journey, free from danger. He himself did not enter the boat because he wished to perform an even greater miracle.

So here we have three miracles:

1. The walking on the sea.
2. The quick calming of the storm.
3. The sudden arrival of the boat on land, although it had been far away.

We learn from this that the faithful, in whom Christ is present, put down the swelling pride of this world, tread under their feet its waves of tribulation, and cross quickly to the land of the living: your good spirit will lead me to land (Psalms 142:10).

19. A number of difficulties arise here concerning the literal sense of the text:

1. Matthew seems to conflict with this account, as he says that the disciples were told by Christ to go to the shore (Matthew 14:22), while here it says the disciples went there to search for him.
2. Matthew says that the disciples crossed over to Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34), while we read here that they came to Capernaum.
3. Matthew says that Christ got into the boat (Matthew 14:32), but here it says he did not.

Chrysostom resolves these difficulties quite briefly by saying that the two accounts do not describe the same miracle. As he says, Christ frequently walked miraculously on the sea in front of his disciples, but not for the people, so that they would not think he lacked a real body.

However, according to Augustine—and this is the better opinion—John and Matthew are describing the same miracle. Augustine answers the first difficulty by saying it makes no difference that Matthew says the disciples went to the shore because our Lord told them to. It is possible that our Lord did so, and they went believing that he would sail with them. That is why they waited until night, and when Christ did not come, they crossed by themselves.

There are two answers to the second difficulty. One is that Capernaum and Gennesaret are neighboring towns on the same shore. Perhaps the disciples landed at a place near both, so that Matthew mentions one and John the other. Alternatively, it might be said that Matthew does not claim they came to Gennesaret immediately; they could have come first to Capernaum and then to Gennesaret.

1. After describing how the disciples searched for Christ, the Evangelist now shows the people looking for him.

   First, he states their motive; second, the occasion, in the words but other ships came in; and third, the search itself, which begins with when therefore the multitude saw that Jesus was not there.

2. The crowd was looking for Christ because of the miracle mentioned previously: he had crossed the sea without using a boat. They realized this because the previous evening, he had not been on the shore where he performed the miracle of the bread. There had been only one boat there, which had left for the opposite shore with the disciples, but without Christ.

   So that morning, when they could not find Christ on their side of the sea, they suspected he had crossed by walking on the water, since he was already on the other side and there was no other boat he could have used. This is what the Evangelist means by: the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other ship there but one, and that Jesus had not entered into the ship with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

   This one ship signifies the Church, which is one by its unity of faith and sacraments: one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). Furthermore, our Lord’s absence from his disciples signifies his physical absence from them at the Ascension: after the Lord Jesus spoke to them, he was taken up into heaven (Mark 16:19).

3. The arrival of other boats from the opposite side of the sea gave the people the opportunity to look for Christ, as they could cross on these boats to search for him. He says: but other ships came in from Tiberias, near the place where they had eaten the bread, after giving thanks to God.

   These other boats signify the various sects of heretics and those who seek their own profit, not the good of Jesus Christ, as he later says, you seek me… because you ate of the loaves and were filled. These groups are separated either in faith, as heretics are, or in the love of charity, as carnal people are. Such people are not properly in the Church but next to it, insofar as they have a feigned faith and the appearance of holiness: they have the appearance of devotion, but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5); do not be surprised if the ministers of satan disguise themselves (2 Corinthians 11:14).

4. The people were eager to find Christ, as seen in the phrase, when therefore the multitude saw that Jesus was not there.

   First, he shows how they looked for him; second, how they questioned him after they found him.

5. He says, when therefore the multitude saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they ascended into the ships, which had come from Tiberias, looking for Jesus. This is praiseworthy: search for the Lord while he can be found (Isaiah 55:6); seek the Lord, and your soul will have life (Psalms 68:33).

6. Once they found him, they questioned him. And when they, the people, had found him, Christ, on the other side of the sea, they asked him: Rabbi, when did you come here?

   This can be understood in two ways. First, they could have been asking only about the time. In that case, Chrysostom says they should be rebuked for their rudeness, because after such a miracle, they did not ask how he crossed without a boat, but only when he did so.

   Alternatively, by asking when, they may have wanted to know not just the time, but all the circumstances connected with this miraculous crossing.

7. Note that now, after finding Christ, they do not wish to make him their king, whereas they did before, after he had fed them. They wanted to make him their king then because they were emotionally excited by the joy of their meal, but such emotions pass quickly.

   Thus, things we plan according to our emotions do not last, but matters we arrange by reason last longer: a wise man continues on in his wisdom like the sun; a fool changes like the moon ; the work of the wicked will not last (Proverbs 11:18).

8. Then, with the words Jesus answered them and said, our Lord begins to discuss a spiritual food.

   First, he states a truth about this spiritual food. Second, he clears up a misunderstanding, which begins at the Jews therefore murmured at him (John 6:41).

   Regarding the first point, he does three things. First, he presents a truth about this spiritual food. Second, he mentions its origin, starting with their question: they said therefore to him: what sign do you show? Third, he tells them how this spiritual food is to be acquired, beginning with their request: they therefore said to him: Lord, give us this bread always (John 6:34).

   Regarding the first of these three, he does two things. First, he explains this spiritual food and its power. Second, he tells what this food is, starting with their question: therefore they said to him: what shall we do, that we may do the works of God?

   Regarding the first of these two, he does two things. First, he rebukes them for their disordered desires. Second, he urges them to accept the truth, with the words do not labor for the food that perishes.

9. He says, amen, amen, I say to you, that although you seem to be devout, you seek me not because you have seen miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. This is as if to say: You seek me not for the sake of the spirit, but for the sake of the flesh, because you hope for more food.

   As Augustine says, these people represent those who seek Jesus not for himself, but to gain worldly advantages. For example, those engaged in business who call on clergy and prelates, not for Christ’s sake, but so that through their intervention they might be advanced among the important. Or those who hurry to church, not for Christ, but because they have been urged to do so by more powerful people. Or those who approach our Lord for sacred orders not because they desire the merits of virtue, but because they are looking for the satisfactions of this present life, such as wealth and praise, as Gregory says in his Moralia.

   This is obvious, for to perform miracles is a work of divine power, but to eat multiplied loaves of bread is a temporal benefit. Accordingly, those who do not come to Christ because of the power they see in him, but because they eat his bread, are not serving Christ but their own stomachs (Philippians 3:19). And again, he will praise you when you are good to him (Psalms 48:19).

10. He leads them back to the truth by calling their attention to spiritual food, saying, do not labor for the food that perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life.

    First, he mentions its power; second, that it comes from him: which the Son of man will give you.

11. The power of this food is seen in the fact that it does not perish. In this respect, we should point out that material things are likenesses of spiritual things, since they are caused and produced by them, and consequently they resemble spiritual things in some way. Just as the body is sustained by food, so that which sustains the spirit is called its food, whatever it might be.

    The food that sustains the body is perishable, since it is converted into the nature of the body. But the food that sustains the spirit is not perishable, because it is not converted into the spirit; rather, the spirit is converted into its food. Hence, Augustine says in his Confessions: I am the food of the great; grow and you will eat me. But you will not change me into yourself, as you do bodily food, but you will be changed into me.

    So our Lord says: do not labor—that is, seek by your work or merit by your works—for the food that perishes, meaning bodily food: food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will destroy both (1 Corinthians 6:13), because we will not always need food. But for that which—that is, the spiritual food—endures to eternal life.

    This food is God himself, insofar as he is the Truth to be contemplated and the Goodness to be loved, which nourish the spirit: eat my bread (Proverbs 9:5); wisdom will feed him with the bread of life and understanding . This food is also obedience to the divine commands: my food is to do the will of him who sent me (John 4:34). It is also Christ himself: I am the bread of life (John 6:35); for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed (John 6:56). This is so because the flesh of Christ is joined to the Word of God, which is the food by which the angels live.

    The difference between bodily and spiritual food that he gives here is like the one he gave before between bodily and spiritual drink: whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but he who will drink of the water that I give to him will not thirst again (John 4:13). The reason for this is that bodily things are perishable, while spiritual things, and especially God, are eternal.

12. We should note that according to Augustine in his work, On the Labor of Monks, certain monks misunderstood our Lord’s saying, do not labor for the food that perishes, and claimed that spiritual men should not perform physical work. But this interpretation is false, because Paul, who was most spiritual, worked with his hands: let him who stole, steal no longer, rather let him work with his hands (Ephesians 4:28).

    The correct interpretation, therefore, is that we should direct our work—that is, our main interest and intention—to seeking the food that leads to eternal life, namely, spiritual goods. Temporal goods should not be our principal aim but a subordinate one; they are to be acquired only for the sake of our mortal body, which has to be nourished as long as we are living this present life. The Apostle speaks against this false opinion, saying: if any one will not work, neither let him eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). It is as if to say: those who maintain that physical work is not to be done should not eat, since eating is physical.

13. Next, with the words which the Son of man will give you, he mentions the one who gives this spiritual food. First, we see the author of this food; second, the source of his authority to give it.

    Christ is the author of this spiritual food and the one who gives it to us. Thus he says, which—that is, the food that does not perish—the Son of man will give you. If he had said, "the Son of God," it would not have been unexpected. But he captures their attention by saying that the Son of man gives this food. Yet the Son of man gives this food in a spiritual way, because human nature, weakened by sin, found spiritual food distasteful and was unable to take it in its spirituality. Thus, it was necessary for the Son of man to assume flesh and nourish us with it: you have prepared a table before me (Psalms 22:5).

14. He adds the source of his authority to give us this food when he says, for God the Father has sealed him. This is as if to say: The Son of man will give us this food because he surpasses all other sons of men by his unique and preeminent fullness of grace. Thus he says, him—that is, the Son of man—God the Father has sealed, meaning he has significantly distinguished him from others: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows (Psalms 44:8).

    Hilary explains it this way: God sealed, that is, impressed with a seal. For when a seal is impressed on wax, the wax retains the entire figure of the seal, just as the Son has received the entire figure of the Father. Now, the Son receives from the Father in two ways. One of these is eternal, and sealed does not refer to this way, because when something is sealed, the nature receiving the seal is not the same as the nature impressing it. Rather, these words should be understood as referring to the mystery of the incarnation, because God the Father has impressed his Word—who is the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance (Hebrews 1:3)—on human nature.

    Chrysostom explains it this way: God the Father has sealed, meaning God the Father specifically chose Christ to give eternal life to the world: I have come that they may have life (John 10:10). For when someone is chosen to perform some great task, he is said to be sealed for that task: after this, the Lord appointed seventy other disciples (Luke 10:1). Or, it could be said that God the Father has sealed, meaning Christ was made known by the Father, by his voice at Christ’s baptism and by his works, as we saw in the fifth chapter.

15. Next, with the words therefore they said to him: what shall we do, that we may do the works of God? we see the nature of spiritual food.

    First, the Jews pose their question; second, we have the answer of Jesus Christ, at Jesus answered, and said to them: this is the work of God.

16. Concerning the first point, we should note that the Jews, having been taught by the Law, believed that only God was eternal. So when Christ said that his food would endure to eternal life, they understood that it would be a divine food. Thus, when they question Christ, they do not mention this food but rather the work of God, saying: what shall we do, that we may do the works of God? Indeed, they were not far from the truth, since spiritual food is nothing other than performing and accomplishing the works of God: what shall I do to gain eternal life? (Luke 18:18).

17. The Lord’s answer is given when he says: this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

    Here we should reflect that the Apostle distinguished faith from works, saying that Abraham was justified by his faith, not by his works (Romans 4:2). If this is so, why does our Lord say here that to have faith—that is, to believe—is a work of God?

    There are two answers. One is that the Apostle is not distinguishing faith from all works, but only from external works. Since external works are performed by our body, they are more noticeable, and so the word "works" ordinarily refers to them. But there are other works—interior works, performed within the soul—which are known only to the wise and those converted in heart.

    From another point of view, we can say that to believe can be regarded as included in our external works, not because it is an external work, but because it is the source of them. Thus, he significantly says, that you believe in him. Now, it is one thing to believe that God is (which indicates the object), another to believe God (which indicates the one who testifies), and still another to believe in God (which indicates the end). God can be the object of faith, the one who testifies, and the end, but in different ways. The object of faith can be a creature, as when I believe in the creation of the heavens. A creature can also be a witness, for I believe Paul or any of the saints. But only God can be the end of faith, for our mind is directed to God alone as its end. Now the end, having the character of a good, is the object of love. Thus, to believe in God as an end is proper to faith that is living through charity. Faith, living in this way, is the principle of all our good works, and in this sense "to believe" is said to be a work of God.

18. But if faith is a work of God, how do people do the works of God?

    This is made clear: you have accomplished all our works for us (Isaiah 26:12). The fact that we believe, and any good we do, is from God: it is God who is working in us, both to will and to accomplish (Philippians 2:13). Thus, he explicitly says that to believe is a work of God in order to show us that faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

19. Next, we see the origin of this food, beginning with the words, they therefore said to him: what sign do you show?

    First, we have the question asked by the Jews; second, the answer of Christ, at amen, amen I say to you: Moses did not give you bread from heaven (John 6:32).

    Regarding the first point, three things are done: first, the Jews look for a sign; second, they decide what it should be; and third, they bring in what is narrated in Scripture.

20. They look for a sign by asking Christ: what sign do you show, that we may see and believe you?

    This question is explained differently by Augustine and by Chrysostom. Chrysostom says that our Lord was leading them to faith. But the evidence that leads one to faith is miracles: signs were given to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22). And so the Jews were looking for a sign in order to believe, for it is their custom to seek such signs: for Jews demand signs (1 Corinthians 14:22). So they say: what sign do you show?

    But it seems foolish to ask for a miracle for this reason, for Christ had just performed some in their presence that could lead them to believe, such as multiplying the bread and walking on the water. What they were asking was that our Lord always provide them with food. This is clear because the only sign they mention is the one given by Moses to their ancestors for forty years, and they ask in this way that Christ always provide food for them. Thus they say: our fathers ate manna in the desert. They did not say that God provided their ancestors with the manna, so that they would not seem to be making Christ equal to God. Nor did they say that Moses fed their ancestors, so they would not seem to be preferring Moses to Christ, trying in this way to influence our Lord. We read of this food: man ate the bread of angels (Psalms 77:25).

21. According to Augustine, however, our Lord had said that he would give them food that would endure to eternal life. Thus, he seemed to put himself above Moses. The Jews, on the other hand, considered Moses greater than Christ; so they said, we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know from where he comes (John 9:29).

    Accordingly, they required Christ to accomplish greater things than Moses, and so they recall what Moses did, saying: our fathers ate manna in the desert. This is as if to say: What you say about yourself is greater than what Moses did, for you are promising a food that does not perish, while the manna that Moses gave became wormy if saved for the next day. Therefore, if we are to believe you, do something greater than Moses did. Although you have fed five thousand men once with five barley loaves, this is not greater than what Moses did, for he fed all the people with manna from heaven for forty years, and in the desert too: he gave them the bread of heaven (Psalms 77:24).

1. Having told us the question the Jews had asked Christ, the Evangelist now gives his answer.

   First, Christ tells us of the origin of this spiritual food; second, he proves what he has just said at for the true bread is that which comes down from heaven.

2. Concerning the first point, we should note that the Jews had mentioned two things to Christ about the physical food given to their ancestors: the one who gave this food, Moses, and the place, that is, from heaven. Accordingly, when our Lord tells them about the origin of spiritual food, he does not mention these two, for he says that there is another who gives this food and another place. He says: amen, amen, I say to you: Moses did not give you bread from heaven. There is another who gives to you, that is, my Father; and he gives, not just physical bread, but the true bread from heaven.

3. But was it not true bread that their ancestors had in the desert?

   I answer that if you understand true as contrasted with false, then they had true bread, for the miracle of the manna was a true miracle. But if true is contrasted with symbolic, then that bread was not true, but was a symbol of spiritual bread—that is, of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom that manna signified, as the Apostle says: all ate the same spiritual food (1 Corinthians 10:3).

4. When it is said, he gave them the bread of heaven (Psalms 77:24), this seems to conflict with, Moses did not give you the true bread from heaven.

   I answer that the word ‘heaven’ can be understood in three ways. Sometimes it can mean the air, as in the birds of heaven ate them (Matthew 13:4); and also in, the Lord thundered from heaven (Psalms 14:14). Sometimes heaven means the starry sky, as in, the highest heaven is the Lord’s (Psalms 113:16), and in, the stars will fall from heaven (Matthew 24:19). Third, it can signify goods of a spiritual nature, as in rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:12).

   So the manna was from heaven, not the heaven of the stars or of spiritual food, but from the air. Or, the manna was said to be from heaven insofar as it was a symbol of the true bread from heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. When he says, for the true bread is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, he proves that it is from heaven by its effect. For the true heaven is spiritual in nature and has life by its own essence; therefore, of itself, it gives life: it is the spirit that gives life (John 6:64). Now God himself is the author of life. Therefore, we know that this spiritual bread is from heaven when it produces its proper effect, if it gives life.

   That physical bread used by the Jews did not give life, since all who ate the manna died. But this bread does give life, so he says: the true bread, not that symbolic bread, is that which comes down from heaven. This is clear, because it gives life to the world: for Christ, who is the true bread, gives life to whom he wills: I have come that they may have life (John 10:10). He also descended from heaven: and no man has ascended into heaven, except he who descended from heaven (John 3:13).

   Thus Christ, the true bread, gives life to the world by reason of his divinity; and he descends from heaven by reason of his human nature, for as we said on the prior text, he came down from heaven by assuming human nature: he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7).

6. They therefore said to him: Lord, give us this bread always. Now he considers the acquisition of this spiritual food.

   First, we see the Jews asking for it; second, he shows the way it is acquired, at and Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life.

7. We should note with respect to the first point, that the Jews understood what Christ said in a material way. Because they desired material things, they were looking for material bread from Christ. Hence they said to him, Lord, give us this bread always, which physically nourishes us. The Samaritan woman also understood what our Lord said about spiritual water in a material way, and wishing to quench her thirst, said, Lord, give me this water (John 4:15). And although these people understood what our Lord said about food in a material way, and asked for it this way, we are expected to ask for it as understood in a spiritual way: give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), because we cannot live without this bread.

8. Then, at and Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life, he shows how this bread is acquired.

   First, he shows what this bread is; second, how to obtain it, at all that the Father gives to me shall come to me.

   Concerning the first, he does three things.

   1. He explains what this bread is.
   2. He gives the reason for this, he who comes to me shall not hunger.
   3. He shows why this had to be explained, at but I said to you, that you also have seen me.

9. Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life, for as we saw above, the word of wisdom is the proper food of the mind, because the mind is sustained by it: he fed him with the bread of life and understanding .

   Now the bread of wisdom is called the bread of life to distinguish it from material bread, which is the bread of death, and which serves only to restore what has been lost by a mortal organism; hence material bread is necessary only during this mortal life. But the bread of divine wisdom is life-giving of itself, and no death can affect it. Again, material bread does not give life, but only sustains for a time a life that already exists. But spiritual bread actually gives life, for the soul begins to live because it adheres to the word of God: for with you is the fountain of life (Psalms 35:10). Therefore, since every word of wisdom is derived from the only begotten Word of God—the fountain of wisdom is the only begotten of God ()—this Word of God is especially called the bread of life. Thus Christ says, I am the bread of life. And because the flesh of Christ is united to the Word of God, it also is life-giving.

   Thus, too, his body, sacramentally received, is life-giving, for Christ gives life to the world through the mysteries which he accomplished in his flesh. Consequently, the flesh of Christ, because of the Word of the Lord, is not the bread of ordinary life, but of that life which does not die. And so the flesh of Christ is called bread: the bread of Asher is rich (Genesis 49:20).

   His flesh was also signified by the manna. Manna means what is this? because when the Jews saw it they wondered, and asked each other what it was. But nothing is more a source of wonder than the Son of God made man, so that everyone can fittingly ask, what is this? That is, how can the Son of God be the Son of man? How can Christ be one person with two natures? His name will be called Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). It is also a cause for wonder how Christ can be present in the sacrament.

10. Next, at he who comes to me shall not hunger, he gives the reason for this from the effect of this bread. When material bread is eaten, it does not permanently take away our hunger, since it must be destroyed in order to build us up; and this is necessary if we are to be nourished. But spiritual bread, which gives life of itself, is never destroyed; consequently, a person who eats it once never hungers again. Thus he says: he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

    According to Augustine, it is the same thing to say, whoever comes, as to say, whoever believes: since it is the same to come to Christ and to believe in him, for we do not come to God with physical steps, but with those of the mind, the first of which is faith. To eat and to drink are also the same, for each signifies that eternal fullness where there is no want: blessed are they who hunger and thirst for what is right, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6); so that food which sustains and that drink which refreshes are one and the same.

    One reason why temporal things do not take away our thirst permanently is that they are not consumed altogether, but only bit by bit, and with motion, so that there is always still more to be consumed. For this reason, just as there is enjoyment and satisfaction from what has been consumed, so there is a desire for what is still to come. Another reason is that they are destroyed; hence the recollection of them remains and generates a repeated longing for those things. Spiritual things, on the other hand, are taken all at once, and they are not destroyed, nor do they run out. Consequently, the fullness they produce remains forever: they will neither hunger nor thirst (Revelation 7:16); your face will fill me with joy; the delights in your right hand, i.e., in spiritual goods, will last forever (Psalms 16:11).

11. Then, at but I said to you, that you also have seen me, we see why Christ had to explain these things.

    For someone could say: we asked for bread, but you did not answer, “I will give it to you,” or “I will not.” Rather, you say, I am the bread of life; and so your answer does not seem to be appropriate. But our Lord shows that it is a good answer, saying, but I have said to you, that you also have seen me, and you do not believe. This is the same as a person having bread right in front of him without his knowing it, and then being told: “Look! The bread is right before you.” And so Christ says: but I have said to you, (I am the bread of life) that you also have seen me, and you do not believe, i.e., you want bread, and it is right before you; and yet you do not take it because you do not believe. In saying this he is rebuking them for their unbelief: they have both seen and hated me and my Father (John 15:24).

12. Then, at all that the Father gives to me shall come to me, he shows how this bread is acquired.

    First, he mentions the way to acquire it; second, the end attained by those who come to him, at and he who comes to me, I will not cast out; third, he enlarges on this, at because I came down from heaven.

13. Concerning the first point, we should note that the very fact that we believe is a gift of God to us: you are saved by grace, through faith; and this is not due to yourself, for it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8); it has been granted to you not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him (Philippians 1:29). Sometimes, God the Father is said to give those who believe to the Son, as here: all that the Father gives to me shall come to me. At other times, the Son is said to give them to the Father: he will hand over the kingdom to God and the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24).

    We can see from this that just as the Father does not deprive himself of the kingdom in giving to the Son, neither does the Son in giving to the Father. The Father gives to the Son insofar as the Father makes a person adhere to his word: through whom—that is, the Father—you have been called into the fellowship of his Son (1 Corinthians 1:9). The Son, on the other hand, gives to the Father insofar as the Word makes the Father known: I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me (John 17:6). Thus Christ says: all that the Father gives to me shall come to me, i.e., those who believe in me, whom the Father makes adhere to me by his gift.

14. Perhaps some might say that it is not necessary for one to use God’s gift, for many receive God’s gift and do not use it. So how can he say: all that the Father gives to me shall come to me?

    We must say to this that in this giving we have to include not only the habit, which is faith, but also the interior impulse to believe. So, everything which contributes to salvation is a gift of God.

15. There is another question. If everything which the Father gives to Christ comes to him, as he says, then only those come to God whom the Father gives him. Thus, those who do not come are not responsible, since they are not given to him.

    I answer that they are not responsible if they cannot come to the faith without the help of God. But those who do not come are responsible, because they create an obstacle to their own coming by turning away from salvation, the way to which is of itself open to all.

16. Then, at and he who comes to me, I will not cast out, the end attained by those who come is mentioned. For some might say that we will come to you, but you will not receive us. To exclude this he says, he who comes to me, by steps of faith and by good works, I will not cast out. By this he lets us understand that he is already within, for one must be within before one can be sent out.

    Let us consider, therefore, what is interior, and how one is cast out from it.

    We should point out that since all visible things are said to be exterior with respect to spiritual things, then the more spiritual something is, the more interior it is. What is interior is twofold. The first is the most profound, and is the joy of eternal life. According to Augustine, this is a sweet and most interior retreat, without any weariness, without the bitterness of evil thoughts, and uninterrupted by temptations and sorrows. We read of this: share the joy of your Lord (Matthew 25:21); and, you will hide them in the secret of your face, that is, in the full vision of your essence (Psalms 30:21). From this interior no one is cast out: he who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of the living God; and he will no longer leave it (Revelation 3:12), because the just will go to everlasting life (Matthew 25:46). The other interior is that of an upright conscience; and this is a spiritual joy. We read of this: when I enter into my house I will enjoy rest ; and the king has brought me into his storerooms (Song of Solomon 1:3). It is from this interior that some are cast out.

    So, when our Lord says, and he who comes to me, I will not cast out, we can understand this in two ways. In one way, those who come to him are those who have been given to him by the Father through eternal predestination. Of these he says: he who comes to me, predestined by the Father, I will not cast out: God has not rejected his people, the people he chose (Romans 11:2). In a second way, those who do go out are not cast out by Christ; rather, they cast themselves out, because through their unbelief and sins they abandon the sanctuary of an upright conscience. Thus we read: I will not cast out such; but they do cast themselves out: you are the burden, and I will cast you aside, says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:33). It was in this way that the man who came to the wedding feast without wedding clothes was cast out (Matthew 22:13).

17. Next, at because I came down from heaven, he gives the reason for what he just said.

    First, he mentions his intention to accomplish the will of the Father; second, he states what the will of the Father is, at and this is the will of the Father who sent me; and third, he shows the final accomplishment of this will, at and I will raise him up on the last day.

18. Concerning the first point, we should note that this passage can be read in two ways: either as Augustine does, or following the interpretation of Chrysostom.

    Augustine understands it this way: the one who comes to me I will not cast out; and this is because the one who comes to me imitates my humility. After our Lord said, come to me, all you who labor, he added, learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29). Now the true gentleness of the Son of God consists in the fact that he submitted his will to the will of the Father. Thus he says, because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. Since a soul abandons God because of its pride, it must return in humility, coming to Christ by imitating his humility; and this humility of Christ was in not doing his own will, but the will of God the Father.

    Here we should note that there were two wills in Christ. One pertains to his human nature, and this will is proper to him, both by nature and by the will of the Father. His other will pertains to his divine nature, and this will is the same as the will of the Father. Christ subordinated his own will, that is, his human will, to the divine will, because, wishing to accomplish the will of the Father, he was obedient to the Father’s will: my God, I desired to do your will (Psalms 39:9). We ask that this will be accomplished for us when we say, your will be done (Matthew 6:10). Thus, those who do the will of God, not their own will, are not cast out. The devil, who wanted to do his own will out of pride, was cast from heaven; and so too the first man was expelled from paradise.

    Chrysostom explains the passage this way. The reason I do not cast out one who comes to me is because I have come to accomplish the will of the Father concerning the salvation of men. So, if I have become incarnate for the salvation of men, how can I cast them out? And this is what he says: I do not cast out one who comes, because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, my human will, so as to obtain my own benefit, but the will of him who sent me, that is, the Father, he desires the salvation of all men (1 Timothy 2:4). And therefore, so far as I am concerned, I do not cast out any person: for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life (Romans 5:10).

19. He shows what the Father wills.

    He does this first, at and this is the will of my Father who sent me, and next, he explains why he wills it, at and this is the will of my father.

20. He says: I will not cast out those who come to me, because I have taken flesh in order to do the will of the Father: and this is the will of him who sent me, the Father, that those who come to me I will not cast out; and so I will not cast them out. This is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Therefore he says that now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all he has given to me, I should lose nothing, i.e., that I should lose nothing until the time of the resurrection. At this time some will be lost, the wicked; but none of those given to Christ through eternal predestination will be among them: the way of the wicked will perish (Psalms 1:7). Those, on the other hand, who are preserved until then, will not be lost.

    Now when he says, lose nothing, we should not understand this as implying that he needs such people or that he is damaged if they perish. Rather, he says this because he desires their salvation and what is good for them, which he regards as his own good.

21. What John later reports Christ as saying seems to conflict with this: none of them, that is, of those you have given me, is lost but the son of perdition (John 17:12). Thus, some of those given to Christ through eternal predestination are lost. Accordingly, what he says here, that of all that he has given to me, I should lose nothing, is not true.

    We must say to this that some are lost from among those given to Christ through a present justification; but none are lost from among those given to him through eternal predestination.

22. Now he gives the reason for the divine will, at and this is the will of my Father. The reason why the Father wills that of all he has given to me, I should lose nothing is that the Father wills to bring men to life spiritually, because he is the fountain of life. And since the Father is eternal, he wills, absolutely speaking, that every one who comes to me should have eternal life. And this is what he says: for this is the will of my Father, who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.

    Note that he said above: he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; and he will not come into judgment (John 5:24), while here he says: every one who sees the Son and believes in him. We can understand from this that the Father and the Son have the same divine nature; and it is the vision of this, through its essence, that is our ultimate end and the object of our faith. When he says here, sees the Son, he is referring to the physical sight of Christ which leads to faith, and not to this vision through essence which faith precedes. Thus he expressly says, every one who sees the Son and believes in him: he who believes him . . . will not come into judgment but passes from death to life (John 5:24); these things are written, so that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and so that believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31).

23. This will of the Father will also be accomplished. So he adds: and I will raise him up on the last day, for he wills that we have eternal life not just in our soul alone, but also in our body, as Christ did at his resurrection: many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to an everlasting life, and others to everlasting shame (Daniel 12:2); Christ, having risen from the dead, will not die again (Romans 6:9).

1. Those opinions that conflict with the above teaching of Christ are now rejected.

   First, those of the people, who were discontented.

   Second, those of the disciples, who were in a state of doubt, as in John 6:60: Many of his disciples, therefore, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying.”

   Regarding the first point, he does two things.

   First, we see the people grumble about the origin of this spiritual food.

   Second, we see Christ address the dispute that arose over the eating of this spiritual food, as in John 6:52: The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves.

   Concerning the first of these, he does two things.

   First, he mentions the people’s grumbling.

   Second, he shows how it was checked, at Jesus therefore answered and said to them.

   Concerning the first of these, he does two things.

   First, he shows the occasion for this complaining.

   Second, he shows what those complaining said, at Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?

2. He continues that some of the people were grumbling over what Christ had said, specifically because Christ had declared, I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. This was a spiritual bread they did not understand or desire, and so they grumbled because their minds were not fixed on spiritual things. In this, they were following the custom of their ancestors: they grumbled in their tents (Psalms 106:25); do not grumble, as some of them did (1 Corinthians 10:10).

   As Chrysostom says, they had not complained until now because they still hoped to obtain material food. But as soon as they lost that hope, they began to grumble, although they pretended it was for a different reason. Yet they did not contradict him openly, out of the respect they had for him arising from his previous miracle.

3. He says those who complained said, Is this not the son of Joseph? Since they were earthly-minded, they only considered Christ’s physical generation, which hindered them from recognizing his spiritual and eternal generation. And so we see them speaking only of earthly things—He who is of the earth is earthly, and he speaks of the earth (John 3:31)—and not understanding what is spiritual. Thus they said, How can he then say, “I came down from heaven”? They called him the son of Joseph, as this was the general opinion, for Joseph was his foster father: the son, as was supposed, of Joseph (Luke 3:23).

4. Next, when Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves,” the grumbling of the people is checked.

   First, Christ stops this complaining.

   Second, he clears up their difficulty, at John 6:47: Amen, amen I say to you: he who believes in me has eternal life.

   As to the first, he does two things.

   First, he checks their complaining.

   Second, he tells why they were doing it, at No one can come to me.

5. Jesus noticed that they were grumbling and checked them, saying, Do not murmur among yourselves.

   This was good advice, for those who complain show that their minds are not firmly fixed on God. And so we read: Keep yourselves from grumbling, for it does no good .

6. The reason for their grumbling was their unbelief, and he shows this when he says, No one can come to me, unless the Father, who has sent me, draws him.

   First, he shows that if one is to come to Christ, he has to be drawn by the Father.

   Second, he shows the way one is drawn, at It is written in the prophets: “And they shall all be taught by God.”

   As to the first, he does three things.

   First, he mentions that coming to Christ surpasses human ability.

   Second, he mentions the divine help we receive for this.

   Third, he mentions the end or fruit of this help.

   That we should come to Christ through faith surpasses our human ability; thus he says, No one can come to me. Second, divine help is effective in helping us to this; thus he says, unless the Father, who has sent me, draws him. The end or fruit of this help is the very best, so he adds, and I will raise him up on the last day.

7. He says first: it is not unexpected that you are grumbling, because my Father had not yet drawn you to me, for no one can come to me—by believing in me—unless the Father, who has sent me, draws him.

   There are three questions here. The first is about his saying, unless the Father draws him. Since we come to Christ by believing, then, as we said above, to come to Christ is to believe in him. But no one can believe unless he wills to. Therefore, since to be drawn implies some kind of compulsion, it seems one who comes to Christ by being drawn is compelled.

   I answer that what we read here about the Father drawing us does not imply coercion, because there are ways of being drawn that do not involve compulsion. Consequently, the Father draws people to the Son in many ways, using the different methods by which we can be drawn without compulsion. One person may draw another by persuading him with a reason. The Father draws us to his Son in this way by showing us that he is his Son. He does this in two ways. First, by an interior revelation, as in Matthew 16:17: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father. Second, it can be done through miracles, which the Son has the power to do from the Father: For the works that the Father has given me... the works themselves, which I do, give testimony about me (John 5:36).

   Again, one person draws another by attracting or captivating him: She captivated him with her flattery (Proverbs 7:21). This is the way the Father draws those who are devoted to Jesus on account of the authority of the paternal greatness. For the Father, that is, the paternal greatness, draws those who believe in Christ because they believe that he is the Son of God. Arius—who did not believe that Christ was the true Son of God, nor begotten of the substance of the Father—was not drawn in this way. Neither was Photinus, who taught that Christ was a mere man. So, this is the way those who are captivated by his greatness are drawn by the Father. But they are also drawn by the Son, through a wonderful joy and love of the truth, which is the very Son of God himself. For if, as Augustine says, each of us is drawn by his own pleasure, how much more strongly ought we to be drawn to Christ if we find our pleasure in truth, happiness, justice, and eternal life—all of which Christ is? Therefore, if we would be drawn by him, let us be drawn through love for the truth, according to Psalm 37:4: Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. And so the bride says: Draw me after you, and we will run to the fragrance of your perfume (Song of Solomon 1:4).

   An external revelation or an object are not the only things that draw us. There is also an interior impulse that incites and moves us to believe. And so the Father draws many to the Son by the impulse of a divine action, moving a person’s heart from within to believe: It is God who is working in us, both to will and to accomplish (Philippians 2:13); I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with bands of love (Hosea 11:4); The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he wills (Proverbs 21:1).

8. The second problem is this. We read that it is the Son who draws us to the Father: No one knows the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son wishes to reveal him (Matthew 11:27); I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me (John 17:6). So how can it say here that it is the Father who draws us to the Son?

   This can be answered in two ways, for we can speak of Christ either as a man or as God. As man, Christ is the way—I am the way (John 14:6)—and as the Christ, he leads us to the Father, as a way or road leads to its end. The Father draws us to Christ as man insofar as he gives us his own power so that we may believe in Christ: You are saved by grace, through faith; and this is not due to yourself, for it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Insofar as he is Christ, he is the Word of God and manifests the Father. It is in this way that the Son draws us to the Father. But the Father draws us to the Son insofar as he manifests the Son.

9. The third problem concerns his saying that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him. According to this, if one does not come to Christ, it is not his own fault, but is due to the one who does not draw him.

   I answer that, in truth, no one can come unless drawn by the Father. For just as a heavy object by its nature cannot rise up but has to be lifted by someone else, so the human heart, which tends of itself to lower things, cannot rise to what is above unless it is drawn or lifted. And if it does not rise up, this is not due to the failure of the one lifting it, who, as far as it depends on him, fails no one. Rather, it is due to an obstacle in the one who is not drawn or lifted up.

   In this matter, we can distinguish between those in the state of integral nature and those in the state of fallen nature. In the state of integral nature, there was no obstacle to being drawn up, and thus all could share in it. But in the state of fallen nature, all are equally held back from this drawing by the obstacle of sin, and so, all need to be drawn. God, insofar as it depends on him, extends his hand to everyone to draw everyone. What is more, he not only draws those who receive him by the hand, but even converts those who are turned away from him, according to Lamentations 5:21: Convert us, O Lord, to yourself, and we will be converted; and Psalm 85:6: You will turn, O God, and bring us to life. Therefore, since God is ready to give grace to all and draw them to himself, it is not due to him if someone does not accept; rather, it is due to the person who does not accept.

10. A general reason can be given why God does not draw all who are turned away from him, but only certain ones, even though all are equally turned away. The reason is so that the order of divine justice may appear and shine forth in those who are not drawn, while the immensity of the divine mercy may appear and shine in those who are drawn. But as to why in particular he draws this person and not that person, there is no reason except the pleasure of the divine will. So Augustine says: Whom he draws and whom he does not draw, why he draws one and does not draw another, do not desire to judge if you do not wish to err. But accept and understand: if you are not yet drawn, then pray that you may be drawn.

    We can illustrate this with an example. One can give as the reason why a builder puts some stones at the bottom and others at the top and sides that it is for the arrangement of the house, whose completion requires this. But why he puts these particular stones here and those over there depends on his mere will. Thus, the prime reason for the arrangement is referred to the will of the builder. So God, for the completion of the universe, draws certain ones in order that his mercy may appear in them, and others he does not draw in order that his justice may be shown in them. But that he draws these and not those depends on the pleasure of his will. In the same way, the reason why in his Church he made some apostles, some confessors, and others martyrs is for the beauty and completion of the Church. But why he made Peter an apostle, Stephen a martyr, and Nicholas a confessor, the only reason is his will.

    We are now clear on the limitations of our human ability and the assistance given to us by divine help.

11. He follows with the end and fruit of this help when he says, and I will raise him up on the last day, even as man. For we obtain the fruit of the resurrection through those things which Christ did in his flesh: For as death came through a man, so the resurrection of the dead has come through a man (1 Corinthians 15:21). So I, as man, will raise him up, not only to a natural life but also to the life of glory; and this on the last day.

    For the Catholic faith teaches that the world will be made new—Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1)—and that among the changes accompanying this renewal, we believe that the motion of the heavens will stop, and consequently, time. And the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land, raised his hand to heaven (Revelation 10:5), and then it says that he swore that time will be no more (Revelation 10:6). Since time will stop at the resurrection, so also will night and day, according to Zechariah 14:7: There will be one day, known to the Lord, not day and night. This is the reason he says, and I will raise him up on the last day.

12. As to the question of why the motion of the heavens and time itself will continue until then, and not end before or after, we should note that whatever exists for something else is disposed differently according to the different states of that for which it exists. But all physical things have been made for humanity; consequently, they should be disposed according to the different states of humanity.

    So, because the state of incorruptibility will begin in humans when they arise—according to 1 Corinthians 15:54, what is mortal will put on incorruption—the corruption of things will also stop then. Consequently, the motion of the heavens, which is the cause of the generation and corruption of material things, will stop. Creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:21). So, it is clear that the Father must draw us if we are to have faith.

13. Then, at It is written in the prophets: “And they will all be taught by God,” he considers the way we are drawn.

    First, he states the way.

    Second, he states its effectiveness, at Everyone who has heard from the Father and has learned, comes to me.

    Third, he excludes a certain way of being drawn, at Not that any man has seen the Father.

14. The manner in which we are drawn is appropriate, for God draws us by revealing and teaching. This is what he says: It is written in the prophets: “And they will all be taught by God.” Bede says that this comes from Joel. But it does not seem to be there explicitly, although there is something like it in Joel 2:23: O children of Zion, rejoice and be joyful in the Lord your God, because he will give you a teacher of justice. Again, according to Bede, he says, in the prophets, so that we might understand that the same meaning can be gathered from various statements of the prophets. But it is Isaiah who seems to state this more explicitly: All your children will be taught by the Lord (Isaiah 54:13). We also read: I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and doctrine (Jeremiah 3:15).

15. That they will all be taught by God can be understood in three ways. In one way, so that all stands for all the people in the world; in another way, so that it stands for all who are in the Church of Christ; and in a third way, so it means all who will be in the kingdom of heaven.

    If we understand it in the first way, it does not seem to be true, for he immediately adds, Everyone who has heard from the Father and has learned, comes to me. Therefore, if everyone in the world is taught, then everyone will come to Christ. But this is false, for not everyone has faith.

    There are three answers to this. First, one could say, as Chrysostom does, that he is speaking of the majority: all, that is, very many, will be taught, just as we find in Matthew 8:11: Many will come from the East and the West.

    Second, it could mean, all, as far as God is concerned, will be taught, but if some are not taught, that is due to themselves. For the sun, on its part, shines on all, but some are unable to see it if they close their eyes or are blind. From this point of view, the Apostle says: He desires the salvation of all men, and that all come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

    Third, we could say, with Augustine, that we must make a restricted application, so that they will all be taught by God means that all who are taught are taught by God. It is just as we might speak of a teacher of the liberal arts who is working in a city: he alone teaches all the boys of the city, because no one there is taught by anyone else. It is in this sense that it was said above: He was the true light, which enlightens every man coming into this world (John 1:9).

16. If we explain these words as referring to those who are gathered into the Church, it says: they will all—all who are in the Church—be taught by God. For we read: All your children will be taught by the Lord (Isaiah 54:13). This shows the sublimity of the Christian faith, which does not depend on human teachings, but on the teaching of God.

    For the teaching of the Old Testament was given through the prophets, but the teaching of the New Testament is given through the Son of God himself. In many and various ways—that is, in the Old Testament—God spoke to our fathers through the prophets; in these days he has spoken to us in his Son (Hebrews 1:1–2); and again: It was first announced by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him (Hebrews 2:3). Thus, all who are in the Church are taught, not by the apostles nor by the prophets, but by God himself. Further, according to Augustine, what we are taught by men is from God, who teaches from within: You have one teacher, the Christ (Matthew 23:10). For understanding, which we especially need for such teaching, is from God.

17. If we explain these words as applying to those who are in the kingdom of heaven, then they will all be taught by God, because they will see his essence without any intermediary: We shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

18. This drawing by the Father is most effective, because everyone who has heard from the Father and has learned, comes to me. Here he mentions two things: first, what relates to a gift of God, when he says, has heard, that is, through God, who reveals; the other relates to a free judgment, when he says, and has learned, that is, by an assent. These two are necessary for every teaching of faith.

    Everyone who has heard from the Father, teaching and making known, and has learned, by giving assent, comes to me. He comes in three ways: through a knowledge of the truth, through the affection of love, and through imitative action. And in each way, it is necessary that one hear and learn.

    The one who comes through a knowledge of the truth must hear when God speaks within—I will hear what the Lord God will speak within me (Psalms 85:8)—and he must learn through affection, as was said. The one who comes through love and desire—If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink (John 7:37)—must hear the word of the Father and grasp it, in order to learn and be moved in his affections. For that person learns the word who grasps it according to the meaning of the speaker. But the Word of the Father breathes forth love. Therefore, the one who grasps it with eager love, learns. Wisdom goes into holy souls, and makes them prophets and friends of God . One comes to Christ through imitative action, according to Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. And whoever learns even in this way comes to Christ. For as the conclusion is to things knowable, so is action to things performable. Now whoever learns perfectly in the sciences arrives at the conclusion; therefore, as regards things that are performable, whoever learns the words perfectly arrives at the right action: The Lord has opened my ear; and I do not resist (Isaiah 50:5).

19. To correct the thought that some might have that everyone will hear and learn from the Father through a vision, he adds: Not that any man has seen the Father. That is, a person living in this life does not see the Father in his essence, according to Exodus 33:20: Man will not see me and live. The exception is the one, that is the Son, who is from God; he has seen the Father, through his essence. Or, not that anyone has seen the Father with a comprehensive vision: neither man nor angel has ever seen or can see in this way; but the one who is from God, that is, the Son: No one knows the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27).

    The reason for this, of course, is that all vision or knowledge comes about through a likeness. Creatures have a knowledge of God according to the way they have a likeness to him. Thus the philosophers say that the intelligences know the First Cause according to this likeness which they have to it. Now every creature possesses some likeness to God, but it is infinitely distant from a likeness to his nature, and so no creature can know him perfectly and totally, as he is in his own nature. The Son, however, because he has received the entire nature of the Father perfectly through an eternal generation, sees and comprehends him totally.

20. Note how the words used are appropriate. Above, when he was speaking of the knowledge others have, he used the word ‘heard.’ But now, in speaking of the Son’s knowledge, he uses the word ‘seen,’ for knowledge that comes through seeing is direct and open, while that which comes through hearing comes through one who has seen. And so we have received the knowledge we have about the Father from the Son, who saw him. Thus, no one can know the Father except through Christ, who makes him known; and no one can come to the Son unless he has heard from the Father, who makes the Son known.