Origen, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, Part II, Complete

Translated by Allan Menzies.

Origen Resources OnLine & in Print

This Part: 132 Pages

Page 21

This, too, was the reason why "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." Hence, too, [4869] "John beareth witness of Him, and cried, saying," "Hence also God commands Isaiah to cry, with the voice of one saying, Cry. And I said, What shall I cry?" The physical voice we use in prayer need not be great nor startling; even should we not lift up any great cry or shout, God will yet hear us. He says to Moses, [4870] "Why criest thou unto Me?" when Moses had not cried audibly at all. It is not recorded in Exodus that he did so; but Moses had cried mightily to God in prayer with that voice which is heard by God alone. Hence David also says, [4871] "With my voice I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me." And one who cries in the desert has need of a voice, that the soul which is deprived of God and deserted of truth--and what more dreadful desert is there than a soul deserted of God and of all virtue, since it still goes crookedly and needs instruction--may be exhorted to make straight the way of the Lord. And that way is made straight by the man who, far from copying the serpent's crooked journey; while he who is of the contrary disposition perverts his way. Hence the rebuke directed to a man of this kind and to all who resemble him, "Why pervert ye the right ways of the Lord?" [4872]

[4869] John i. 15.

[4870] Exod. xiv. 15.

[4871] Ps. lxxvii. 7.

[4872] Acts xiii. 10.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Origen - COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Origen Home Page ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/john-commentary-2.asp?pg=21