49. (Verse 35.). Jesus therefore said to them. Here the fourth point is touched upon, namely the removal of that doubt: and the Lord shows that that doubt did not arise from a bad understanding, but from a deficiency of understanding, because Scripture says both things about Christ, both that he is eternal and that he is mortal. Therefore he says: Yet a little while the light is in you. It is light, because you believe Christ to be eternal; but little, because you do not believe him to be about to die. Therefore he exhorts them to advance in faith while they have time; on account of which he says: Walk while you have the light. That walking is to approach Christ through faith: Psalm: "Come to him, and be enlightened." And the reason is added: That the darkness may not overtake you, that is, the blindness of unbelief, concerning which above in chapter three: "The light came into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light." And it is dangerous to be overtaken by them, because he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes: Proverbs 4: "The way of the wicked is dark: they know not where they fall." And he explains what he had said by walk, which is believe: whence he says:
50. (Verse 36.). While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be children of the light. The children of light are children of God, because he is "the true light"; and this comes about through faith: above in chapter one: "He gave them power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name." He answers most excellently, because they could not be freed from that doubt except by approaching him through faith: whence Augustine: "Come, understand the whole: both that Christ would die and that Christ would live forever and that he would shed his blood, by which he might redeem, and that he would ascend to the heights, to which he might lead you." This is to walk.
QUESTIONS.
51. Question I. But there is a question about what he says: Now is the judgment of the world: because it was said that he judges no one and did not come to judge.
I respond: There is a judgment of condemnation and of discernment; by this judgment the world is judged in the passion of Christ, through which the sheep are discerned from the wolves, not by the first judgment.
52. Question II. But there is a question about what he says, that the prince of this world shall be cast out. Who is this prince?
If the devil [is prince]: therefore it seems that this sensible world pertains to the dominion of the devil; and then the impiety of the Manichaeans would be true.
I respond: It must be said that by world here are meant those devoted to the world through friendship. The prince of these is the devil, not with respect to nature, but with respect to pre-eminence in fault, because he is the king over all the children of pride, Job 41.
53. Question III. Likewise, inquiry is made concerning what he says, that he will be cast out; because this does not seem to be the case: for he still rules over those who are devoted to the world, and presses harder, because they sin more gravely.
I respond: It must be said that the devil is said to be cast out of the world, not that he does not tempt, but that he does not reign interiorly; nor is he said to be cast out in the sense that he reigns interiorly in absolutely no one, but that he does not in so many; nor does he reign so authoritatively, because his drawing hand has been cut off, on account of the fact that the handwriting that was against us was blotted out in the Passion and nailed to the cross. His impelling hand has been weakened, our hand for resisting has been strengthened through faith: 1 Peter, last chapter: Resist him, steadfast in faith.
54. Question IV. Likewise, inquiry is made concerning what he says, that he will draw all things to himself; because not all, nor the greater part, have been converted to the faith; indeed, there are more wicked than good.
I respond: It must be said that, as Augustine says, those who tend toward non-being ought not to be counted; and such are the wicked. Hence by the word all things no distribution is made except for the elect, who were sons of God by election; and these he drew to himself and gathered into one .
Or: I will draw all things, that is, from every people and kingdom, not only Jews but also Gentiles, without distinction of nations.
55. These things Jesus spoke. After the future calling of the Gentiles and the prediction and exposition of the future Passion have been described, here fourthly is indicated the future blinding of the Jews. And the declaration of this matter proceeds in this order. For first the blinding itself is indicated; second, the election of some; third, the strengthening of the weak among the elect takes place; fourth, a threat is brought against the blinded themselves.
(Verse 36.) The blinding of the Jews is indicated in the very action of the Lord, who hid himself from those same Jews who had begun to contradict him; on account of which he says: These things Jesus spoke and went away and hid himself from them. Augustine: "Not from those who came to meet him with palm branches, but from those who saw and envied"; Deuteronomy 32: "I will hide my face from them and I will consider their last end; for it is a perverse generation, and unfaithful children." And this bodily hiding was a sign of the spiritual hiding; and the following text indicates this:
56. (Vers. 37.). Although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him: such as the sign of the raising of Lazarus: yet they did not believe, because their malice did not permit it: Wisdom 2: "Their malice blinded them." Nor did this happen by chance, but it was foreseen by the Lord and foretold through the Prophet Isaiah; on account of which he says:
57. (Vers. 38.). That the word of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke : Lord, who has believed: as if to say: few, or none: our report? That is, that which we have heard from the Lord: or that which one hears from us prophesying, because "faith comes from hearing," Romans 10. And the arm of the Lord, to whom has it been revealed? The arm of the Lord, as Augustine says, is the Son of the Father. "For just as your arm is that by which you work, so the arm of God is called the Word, by which he made the world. This arm is neither stretched out when extended nor drawn in when gathered." Nor was it only foreseen, but it also came about by the just judgment of God: on account of which he adds:
58. (Vers. 39.). For this reason they could not believe, in him, because evidently they were blinded, and this Isaiah said: therefore he adds: Because again Isaiah said:
59. (Vers. 40.). He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart: Isaiah 6: "Blind the heart of this people and make heavy their ears and shut their eyes" etc.: and Romans 1: "God gave them over to a reprobate mind." So that they may not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and, by understanding, be converted, and, by converting, I may heal them; Jeremiah 3: "Return to me, and I will heal your backslidings." And lest you think this authority was usurped, he adds:
60. (Vers. 41.). These things Isaiah said, when he saw his glory and spoke of him; Isaiah 6, where it is said that "he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the whole earth was full of his majesty."
61. (Vers. 42.). Nevertheless, from among the rulers. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the election of certain ones:
therefore he speaks adversatively: although it was said that they did not believe, nevertheless many of the rulers believed in him: Romans 11: "At this time a remnant according to the election of grace has been saved." But yet they were not perfect in faith; on account of which he adds: But on account of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they be cast out of the synagogue: above, chapter 9: "For the Jews had already conspired that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." And this indeed they feared as being imperfect: on account of which he adds the reason for their fear:
62. (Vers. 43.). For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God: and they acted foolishly, according to what is said in 1 Maccabees 2: "Do not fear the words of a sinful man, for his glory is dung and worms; today he is exalted, and tomorrow he shall not be found"; the Psalm: "He has scattered the bones of those who please men," etc.; Galatians 1: "Do I seek to please men? If I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
63. (Vers. 44.). But Jesus cried out and said. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the strengthening of those weak in faith, which is accomplished by Christ's affectionate exhortation, by which he lifts up the minds of believers to the dignity of the Divinity. On account of which he says: He who believes in me does not believe in me, according to the visible nature, but in him who sent me ; or: by believing, he honors not me only, but him who sent me: in which he shows that to believe in him is not to believe in a man, but in God: and this he makes manifest: