Commentary on the Johannine prologue

And the world was made by him. This means that the world arose from him, not he from the world. For creation came forth by the Word of God-meaning all creatures, both invisible and visible, for there are some that can be neither seen nor touched, while others are seen as well as touched. Man possesses both kinds in himself, the soul and the body, for he was made after the image and likeness of God. Therefore, he commands with his word but also works with his hands. In this way, God ordained man to resemble himself, because he wished his Son to be incarnate of man.

And the world did not know him, for the children of the world, that is, those who follow the world in their ignorant blindness, neither knew of his coming nor recognized his working, even as an infant is unaware of knowledge and work. God demonstrates the ignorant childishness of such unbelievers in the thighs and knees. Just as an infant that feeds on milk and soft food cannot walk, because its bones and marrow are not yet strong enough, and even an adult cannot walk on his thighs and knees without the calves and feet, so it was with unbelievers. Because their knowledge and senses were devoid of the fire of the Holy Spirit, through which they should have recognized God, they could not walk in the way of righteousness.

He came to his own, for he had created the world and put on human flesh. So all creatures revealed him, just as a coin reveals the ruler who minted it. For God created the world, which he wished to prepare as a tabernacle for man; and, since he wanted to clothe himself in man, he fashioned him to his own image and likeness. Therefore, all things were his own.

And his own did not receive him. They were his own because he had created them and made them especially after his image, yet they neglected him when they failed to acknowledge him as their Maker and did not understand that they had been created by him alone. For unbelievers did not receive his humanity, nor did they recognize God in human form, because of the blindness of their unbelief. Now, foolish and idle youth is symbolized by the legs. Young people attend to the blossoming life of creation and esteem themselves wiser than others, because their bones and marrow have by then reached full strength. This is how the Jews and pagans behaved. Loving the vanity of the world, they thought they knew what they did not know and were what they were not, and they paid no faithful attention to the one who had given them flesh and spirit. Just as deluded youth takes delight in creatures, the world at that time lived in vanity. Therefore, it was necessary for God to show himself to them and gather them to himself, as he did when he commanded the ass and its colt to be untied and brought to him and took his seat on them according to the law of truth.

But to as many as received him, he gave power to become children of God. To all people of both sexes who received him, believing him to be God and man (for God first is grasped by faith, and afterwards God-made-man), he potentially gave this power by his own will and potency: namely, to become children of his Father in the heavenly kingdom. That is, having become fellow heirs of his own inheritance, they could enjoy a share with him in his kingdom by the same law that constitutes a child as his father's heir. Because they recognized him as their God and Creator, embraced him in charity, kissed him in faith, and diligently and carefully inquired of him about all that is his, the dew of the Holy Spirit fell upon them, so that from these people the whole church could begin to germinate and bear the fruit of heavenly joys. Therefore, it was given to them, by virtue of true faith, to become children of God.