|
1. We have just heard out of the Gospel the words of the Lord which
follow the former discourse. From these a discourse is due to your
ears and minds, and it is not unseasonable today; for it is concerning
the body of the Lord which He said that He gave to be eaten for
eternal life. And He explained the mode of this bestowal and gift of
His, in what manner He gave His flesh to eat, saying, "He that
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in
him." The proof that a man has eaten and drank is this, if he abides
and is abode in, if he dwells and is dwelt in, if he adheres so as not
to be deserted. This, then, He has taught us, and admonished us in
mystical words that we may be in His body, in His members under
Himself as head, eating His flesh, not abandoning our unity with
Him. But most of those who were present, by not understanding Him,
were offended; for in hearing these things, they thought only of
flesh, that which themselves were. But the apostle says, and says
what is true, "To be carnally-minded is death." The Lord gives
us His flesh to eat, and yet to understand it according to the flesh
is death; while yet He says of His flesh, that therein is eternal
life. Therefore we ought not to understand the flesh carnally. As in
these words that follow:
2. "Many therefore," not of His enemies, but "of His
disciples, when they had heard this, said. This is a hard saying;
who can hear it?" If His disciples accounted this saying hard, what
must His enemies have thought? And yet so it behoved that to be said
which should not be understood by all. The secret of God ought to
make men eagerly attentive, not hostile. But these men quickly
departed from Him, while the Lord said such things: they did not
believe Him to be saying something great, and covering some grace by
these words; they understood just according to their wishes, and in
the manner of men, that Jesus was able, or was determined upon this,
namely, to distribute the flesh with which the Word was clothed,
piecemeal, as it were, to those that believe on Him. "This," say
they, "is a hard saying; who can hear it?"
3. "But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples murmured at
it," for they so said these things with themselves that they might not
be heard by Him: but He who knew them in themselves, hearing within
Himself, answered and said, "This offends you;" because I said,
I give you my flesh to eat, and my blood to drink, this forsooth
offends you. "Then what if ye shall see the Son of man ascending
where He was before?" What is this? Did He hereby solve the
question that perplexed them? Did He hereby uncover the source of
their offense? He did clearly, if only they understood. For they
supposed that He was going to deal out His body to them; but He said
that He was to ascend into heaven, of course, whole: "When ye
shall see the Son of man ascending where He was before;" certainly
then. at least, you will see that not in the manner you suppose does
He dispense His body; certainly then, at least, you will understand
that His grace is not consumed by tooth-biting.
4. And He said, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing." Before we expound this, as the Lord grants us,
that other must not be negligently passed over, where He says,
"Then what if ye shall see the Son of man ascending where He was
before?" For Christ is the Son of man, of the Virgin Mary.
Therefore Son of man He began to be here on earth, where He took
flesh from the earth. For which cause it was said prophetically,
"Truth is sprung from the earth." Then what does He mean when He
says, "When ye shall see the Son of man ascending where He was
before"? For there had been no question if He had spoken thus:
"If ye shall see the Son of God ascending where He was before,"
But since He said, "The Son of man ascending where He was
before," surely the Son of man was not in heaven before the time when
He began to have a being on earth? Here, indeed, He said, "where
He was before," just as if He were not there at this time when He
spoke these words. But in another place He says, "No man has
ascended into heaven but He that came down from heaven, the Son of
man who is in heaven." He said not "was," but, saith He, "the
Son of man who is in heaven." He was speaking on earth, and He
declared Himself to be in heaven. And yet He did not speak thus:
"No man hath ascended into heaven but He that came down from
heaven," the Son of God, "who is in heaven." Whither tends it,
but to make us understand that which even in the former discourse I
commended to your minds, my beloved, that Christ, both God and
man, is one person, not two persons, lest our faith be not a
trinity, but a quaternity? Christ, therefore, is one; the Word,
soul and flesh, one Christ; the Son of God and Son of man, one
Christ; Son of God always, Son of man in time, yet one Christ in
regard to unity of person. In heaven He was when He spoke on earth.
He was Son of man in heaven in that manner in which He was Son of
God on earth; Son of God on earth in the flesh which He took, Son
of man in heaven in the unity of person.
5. What is it, then, that He adds? "It is the Spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." Let us say to Him (for
He permits us, not contradicting Him, but desiring to know), O
Lord, good Master, in what way does the flesh profit nothing,
whilst Thou hast said, "Except a man eat my flesh, and drink my
blood, he shall not have life in him?" Or does life profit nothing?
And why are we what we are, but that we may have eternal life, which
Thou dost promise by Thy flesh? Then what means "the flesh
profiteth nothing"? It profiteth nothing, but only in the manner in
which they understood it. They indeed understood the flesh, just as
when cut to pieces in a carcass, or sold in the shambles; not as when
it is quickened by the Spirit. Wherefore it is said that "the flesh
profiteth nothing," in the same manner as it is said that "knowledge
puffeth up." Then, ought we at once to hate knowledge? Far from
it! And what means "Knowledge puffeth up"? Knowledge alone,
without charity. Therefore he added, "but charity edifieth."
Therefore add thou to knowledge charity, and knowledge will be
profitable, not by itself, but through charity. So also here, "the
flesh profiteth nothing," only when alone. Let the Spirit be added
to the flesh, as charity is added to knowledge, and it profiteth very
much. For if the flesh profiled nothing, the Word would not be made
flesh to dwell among us. If through the flesh Christ has greatly
profiled us, does the flesh profit nothing? But it is by the flesh
that the Spirit has done somewhat for our salvation. Flesh was a
vessel; consider what it held, not what it was. The apostles were
sent forth; did their flesh profit us nothing? If the apostles'
flesh profited us, could it be that the Lord's flesh should have
profiled us nothing? For how should the sound of the Word come to us
except by the voice of the flesh? Whence should writing come to us?
All these are operations of the flesh, but only when the spirit moves
it, as if it were its organ. Therefore "it is the Spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing," as they understood the
flesh, but not so do I give my flesh to be eaten.
9. Hence "the words," saith He, "which I have spoken to you
are Spirit and life." For we have said, brethren, that this is
what the Lord had taught us by the eating of His flesh and drinking of
His blood, that we should abide in Him and He in us. But we abide
in Him when we are His members, and He abides in us when we are His
temple. But that we may be His members, unity joins us together.
And what but love can effect that unity should join us together? And
the love of God, whence is it? Ask the apostle: "The love of
God," saith he, "is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
which is given to us."
Therefore "it is the Spirit that quickeneth," for it is the Spirit
that makes living members. Nor does the Spirit make any members to be
living except such as it finds in the body, which also the Spirit
itself quickens. For the Spirit which is in thee, O man, by which
it consists that thou art a man, does it quicken a member which it
finds separated from thy flesh? I call thy soul thy spirit. Thy soul
quickeneth only the members which are in thy flesh; if thou takest one
away, it is no longer quickened by thy soul, because it is not joined
to the unity of thy body. These things are said to make us love unity
and fear separation. For there is nothing that a Christian ought to
dread so much as to be separated from Christ's body. For if he is
separated from Christ's body, he is not a member of Christ; if he
is not a member of Christ, he is not quickened by the Spirit of
Christ. "But if any man," saith the apostle, "have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." "It is the Spirit,"
then, "that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." What
means "are spirit and life"? They are to be understood spiritually.
Hast thou understood spiritually? "They are spirit and life."
Hast thou understood carnally? So also "are they spirit and life,"
but are not so to thee.
7. "But," saith He, "there are some among you that believe
not." He said not There are some among you that understand not; but
He told the cause why they understand not "There are some among you
that believe not," and therefore they understand not, because they
believe not. For the prophet has said, "If ye believe not, ye
shall not understand." We are united by faith, quickened by
understanding. Let us first adhere to Him through faith, that there
may be that which may be quickened by understanding. For he who
adheres not resists; he that resists believes not. And how can he
that resists be quickened? He is an adversary to the ray of light by
which he should be penetrated: he turns not away his eye, but shuts
his mind. "There are," then, "some who believe not." Let them
believe and open, let them open and be illumined. "For Jesus knew
from the beginning who they were that believed, and who should betray
Him." For Judas also was there. Some indeed, were offended; but
he remained to watch his opportunity, not to understand. And because
he remained for that purpose, the Lord kept not silence concerning
him. He described him not by name, but neither was He silent about
him; that all might fear though only one should perish. But after He
spoke, and distinguished those that believe from those that believe
not, He clearly showed the cause why they believed not.
"Therefore I said unto you," saith He, "that no man can come
unto me except it were given to him of my Father." Hence to believe
is also given to us; for certainly to believe is something. And if it
is something great, rejoice that thou hast believed, yet be not lifted
up; for "What hast thou that thou didst not receive?"
8. "From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no
more with Him." Went back, but after Satan, not after Christ.
For our Lord Christ once addressed Peter as Satan, rather because
he wished to precede his Lord, and to give counsel that He should not
die, He who had come to die, that we might not die for ever; and He
says to him, "Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou savorest not the
things that be of God, but the things that be of men." He did not
drive him back to go after Satan, and so called him Satan; but He
made him go behind Himself, that by walking after his Lord he should
not be a Satan. But these went back in the same manner as the apostle
says of certain women: "For some are turned back after Satan."
They walked not further with Him. Behold, cut off from the body,
for perhaps they were not in the body, they have lost life. They must
be reckoned among the unbelieving, notwithstanding they were called
disciples. Not a few, but "many went back." This happened, it
may be, for our consolation. For sometimes it happens that a man may
declare the truth, and that what he says may not be understood, and so
they that hear it are offended and go away. Now the man regrets that
he had spoken that truth, and he says to himself, "I ought not to
have spoken so, I ought not to have said this." Behold; it
happened to the Lord: He spoke, and lost many; He remained with
few. But yet He was not troubled, because He knew from the
beginning who they were that believed and that believed not. If it
happen to us, we are sorely perplexed. Let us find comfort in the
Lord, and yet let us speak words with prudence.
9. And now addressing the few that remained: "Then said Jesus to
the twelve" (namely, those twelve who remained), "Will ye
also," said He, "go away?" Not even Judas departed. But it
was already manifest to the Lord why he remained: to us he was made
manifest afterwards. Peter answered in behalf of all, one for many,
unity for the collective whole: "Then Simon Peter answered Him,
Lord, to whom shall we go?" Thou drivest us from Thee; give us
Thy other self. "To whom shall we go?" If we abandon Thee, to
whom shall we go? "Thou hast the words of eternal life." See how
Peter, by the gift of God and the renewal of the Holy Spirit,
understood Him. How other than because he believed? "Thou hast the
words of eternal life." For Thou hast eternal life in the
ministration of Thy body and blood. "And we have believed and have
known." Not have known and believed, but "believed and known."
For we believed in order to know; for if we wanted to know first, and
then to believe, we should not be able either to know or to believe
What have we believed and known? "That Thou art Christ, the Son
of God;" that is, that Thou art that very eternal life, and that
Thou givest in Thy flesh and blood only that which Thou art.
10. Then said the Lord Jesus: "Have not I chosen you twelve,
and one of you is a devil?" Therefore, should He have said, "I
have chosen eleven:" or is a devil also chosen, and among the elect?
Persons are wont to be called "elect" by way of praise: or was man
elected because some great good was done by him, without his will and
knowledge? This belongs peculiarly to God; the contrary is
characteristic of the wicked. For as wicked men make a bad use of the
good works of God; so, on the contrary, God makes a good use of the
evil works of wicked men. How good it is that the members of the body
are, as they can be disposed only by God, their author and framer!
Nevertheless what evil use doth wantonness make of the eyes? What ill
use doth falsehood make of the tongue? Does not the false witness
first both slay his own soul with his tongue, and then, after he has
destroyed himself, endeavor to injure another?
He makes an ill use of the tongue, but the tongue is not therefore an
evil thing; the tongue is God's work, but iniquity makes an ill use
of that good work of God. How do they use their feet who run into
crimes? How do murderers employ their hands? And what ill use do
wicked men make of those good creatures of God that lie outside of
them? With gold they corrupt judgment and oppress the innocent. Bad
men make a bad use of the very light; for by evil living they employ
even the very light with which they see into the service of their
villanies. A bad man, when going to do a bad deed, wishes the light
to shine for him, lest he stumble; he who has already stumbled and
fallen within; that which he is afraid of in his body has already
befallen him in his heart.
Hence, to avoid the tediousness of running through them separately, a
bad man makes a bad use of all the good creatures of God: a good man,
on the contrary, makes a good use of the evil deeds of wicked men.
And what is so good as the one God? Since, indeed, the Lord
Himself said, "There is none good, but the one God." By how
much He is better, then, by so much the better use He makes of our
evil deeds. What worse than Judas? Among all that adhered to the
Master, among the twelve, to him was committed the common purse; to
him was allotted the dispensing for the poor. Unthankful for so great
a favor, so great an honor, he took the money, and lost
righteousness: being dead, he betrayed life: Him whom he followed as
a disciple, he persecuted as an enemy.
All this evil was Judas's; but the Lord employed his evil for
good. He endured to be betrayed, to redeem us. Behold, Judas's
evil was turned to good. How many martyrs has Satan persecuted! If
Satan left off persecuting, we should not today be celebrating the
very glorious crown of Saint Laurence. If then God employs the evil
works of the devil himself for good, what the bad man effects, by
making a bad use, is to hurt himself, not to contradict the goodness
of God. The Master makes use of that man. And if He knew not how
to make use of him, the Master contriver would not have permitted him
to be.
Therefore, He saith, "One of you is a devil," whilst I have
chosen you twelve. This saying, "I have chosen you twelve," may
be understood in this way, that twelve is a sacred number. For the
honor of that number was not taken away because one was lost, for
another was chosen into the place of the one that perished. The number
remained a sacred number, a number containing twelve: because they
were to make known the Trinity throughout the whole world, that is,
throughout the four quarters of the world. That is the reason of the
three times four. Judas, then only cut himself off, not profaned the
number twelve: he abandoned his Teacher, for God appointed a
successor to take his place.
11. All this that the Lord spoke concerning His flesh and blood;
and in the grace of that distribution He promised us eternal life, and
that He meant those that eat His flesh and drink His blood to be
understood, from the fact of their abiding in Him and He in them;
and that they understood not who believed not; and that they were
offended through their understanding spiritual things in a carnal
sense; and that, while these were offended and perished, the Lord
was present for the consolation of the disciples who remained, for
proving whom He asked, "Will ye also go away?" that the reply of
their steadfastness might be known to us, for He knew that they
remained with Him; let all this, then, avail us to this end, most
beloved, that we eat not the flesh and blood of Christ merely in the
sacrament, as many evil men do, but that we eat and drink to the
participation of the Spirit, that we abide as members in the Lord's
body, to be quickened by His Spirit, and that we be not offended,
even if many do now with us eat and drink the sacraments in a temporal
manner, who shall in the end have eternal torments. For at present
Christ's body is as it were mixed on the threshing-floor: "But the
Lord knoweth them that are His." If thou knowest what thou
threshest, that the substance is there hidden, that the threshing has
not consumed what the winnowing has purged; certain are we, brethren,
that all of us who are in the Lord's body, and abide in Him, that
He also may abide in us, have of necessity to live among evil men in
this world even unto the end. I do not say among those evil men who
blaspheme Christ; for there are now few found who blaspheme with the
tongue, but many who do so by their life. Among those, then, we
must necessarily live even unto the end.
12. But what is this that He saith: "He that abideth in me, and
I in him"? What, but that which the martyrs heard: "He that
persevereth unto the end, the same shall be saved"? How did Saint
Laurence, whose feast we celebrate today, abide in Him? He abode
even to temptation, abode even to tyrannical questioning, abode even
to bitterest threatening, abode even to destruction; that were a
trifle, abode even to savage torture. For he was not put to death
quickly, but tormented in the fire: he was allowed to live a long
time; nay, not allowed to live a long time, but forced to die a
slow, lingering death. Then, in that lingering death, in those
torments, because he had well eaten and well drunk, as one who had
feasted on that meat, as one intoxicated with that cup, he felt not
the torments. For He was there who said, "It is the Spirit that
quickeneth." For the flesh indeed was burning, but the Spirit was
quickening the soul. He shrunk not back, and he mounted into the
kingdom. But the holy martyr Xystus, whose day we celebrated five
days ago, had said to him, "Mourn not, my son;" for Xystus was a
bishop, he was a deacon. "Mourn not," said he; "thou shall
follow me after three days."
He said three days, meaning the interval between the day of Saint
Xystus's suffering and that of Saint Laurence's suffering, which
falls on today. Three days is the interval. What comfort! He says
not, "Mourn not, my son; the persecution will cease, and thou wilt
be safe;" but, "do not mourn: whither I precede thou shall
follow; nor shall thy pursuit be deferred: three days will be the
interval, and thou shall be with me." He accepted the oracle,
vanquished the devil, and attained to the triumph.
|
|