Sermon 74
SERMO 74
On the Words of the Gospel, Matthew 13:52
"For this reason every scribe who is instructed in the kingdom of God," and so on.
Who are the scribes of the Jews?
The reading of the Gospel urges us to seek and explain, as much as the Lord grants, to your Charity, who is the Scribe trained in the kingdom of God, similar to the head of a household bringing out of his treasure new and old things. For the reading itself concludes with this: what are the new and old things of the learned Scribe. But it is known whom the ancient ones according to the custom of our Scriptures called Scribes, namely those who professed the knowledge of the Law. For such were called Scribes among that people; not like those who are called in the offices of judges, or in the custom of cities. For we must not enter the school in vain, but know in what sense we hold the words of the Scriptures: lest when something from the Scriptures sounds, which is usually understood in another secular use, the listener errs and, by thinking as he is accustomed, does not understand what he heard. Therefore, Scribes were those who professed the knowledge of the Law, to whom the books of the Law belonged either for keeping, or handling, or even writing and understanding.
Scribes unlearned in the kingdom of God.
Such our Lord Jesus Christ reproaches, that they have the keys of the kingdom of heaven, neither enter themselves, nor permit others to enter; reproving, namely, the Pharisees and Scribes, doctors of the Jewish Law. Of whom elsewhere he says: Do what they say; but do not do what they do: for they say and do not do. Therefore it has been said to you: For they say and do not do, unless because there are some of whom it is shown what the Apostle says: You who preach not to steal, steal; you who say not to commit adultery, commit adultery; you who abhor idols, commit sacrilege; you who glory in the Law, by transgression of the Law dishonor God. For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations because of you. Indeed, of them it is clear to say the Lord: For they say and do not do. Therefore, they are those Scribes, but not learned in the kingdom of God.
How bad prefects speak, and are to be listened to by subordinates.
Perhaps one of you might say: And how can an evil man speak good things; since it is written, the Lord Himself saying: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Hypocrites, how can you speak good things, while you are evil? He says this: How can you speak good things, while you are evil? he says this: What they say, do; but what they do, do not do: for they say, and do not do. If they say, and do not do, they are evil: if they are evil, they cannot speak good things: how do we do what we hear from them, when we cannot hear good things from them? How this is resolved, let your Holiness observe. Whatever an evil man brings forth from himself is evil; whatever an evil man brings forth from his heart, is evil: for there is an evil treasure. But whatever a good man brings forth from his heart, is good: for there is a good treasure. Whence then did those evil ones bring forth good things? Because they sat in the chair of Moses. Had He not said beforehand: They sit in the chair of Moses; He would never have commanded that the evil be heard. For what they bring forth from the evil treasure of their heart was different; what they sounded forth from the chair of Moses, as heralds of the judge, was different. What a herald says is never attributed to the herald, if he speaks before the judge. There is a difference between what a herald speaks in his own house, and what a herald speaks when hearing from the judge. For, whether willing or unwilling, the herald sounds the voice of punishment and of his friend. Likewise, whether willing or unwilling, he sounds the voice of absolution and of his enemy. Give the voice from his heart: he absolves his friend, punishes his enemy. Give the voice from the chair of the judge: he punishes his friend, absolves his enemy. Give the voice of the Scribes from their heart: you will hear: Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die. Give the voice from the chair of Moses: you will hear: You shall not kill: You shall not commit adultery: You shall not steal: You shall not bear false witness: Honor your father and your mother: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Do this, which resounds through the mouth of the Scribes from the chair: not what comes from the heart of the Scribes. Thus, embracing both of the Lord's sentences, you will neither obey one while being guilty of the other; but you understand both to be in concord, and regard as true this: because a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things: and that, because those Scribes would not speak good things from the evil treasure of their heart, but they could speak good things from the treasure of the chair of Moses.
A grape-cluster among thorns.
Therefore, those words of the Lord should not trouble you, saying: Every tree is known by its fruit. Do they gather grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles? Therefore, the scribes and Pharisees of the Jews are thorns and thistles: and yet: What they tell you, do; but do not do what they do. Therefore, from thorns, grapes are gathered, and from thistles, figs, as I have given you understanding according to the previous exposition. For sometimes vines entwine themselves in thorny hedges of the vineyard, and clusters of grapes hang from the bramble. Hearing the name of thorns, would you despise the grape? Seek the root of the thorns, and see where you find it. Follow the root of the hanging cluster and see where you find it. Thus understand that one thing pertains to the heart of the Pharisee, another to the chair of Moses.
The old symbols are done away through Christ.
But why are they such? Because, he says, a veil is placed over their hearts. And they do not see that old things have passed away and all things have become new. Hence they are such, and whoever even now are such. Whence the old? Because they have been preached for a long time. Whence the new? Because they pertain to the kingdom of God. How then is the veil removed, the Apostle himself says: But whenever you turn to the Lord, the veil is removed. Therefore, a Jew not turning to the Lord does not extend the gaze of his mind to the end. Just as at that time, in this figure, the children of Israel did not extend the gaze of their eyes to the end, that is, to the face of Moses. For the face of Moses, shining, had the figure of truth: a veil was interposed, because they could not yet gaze at the splendor of his face, the children of Israel. Which figure is abolished. For thus the Apostle said: Which are abolished. Why are they abolished? Because when the emperor comes, the images are removed from the midst. The image is viewed there where the emperor is not present: but where he is of whom the image is, the image is removed. Therefore, images were carried before our Emperor the Lord Jesus Christ came. With the images removed, the presence of the emperor shines. Therefore, when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. For indeed the voice of Moses sounded through the veil, and the face of Moses did not appear. Likewise, now to the Jews the voice of Christ sounds through the voice of the old Scriptures: they hear their voice, they do not see the face of the one sounding. Therefore, do they wish the veil to be removed? Let them turn to the Lord. For then the old are not removed, but are stored in a treasure, so that now it may be that a Scribe is trained in the kingdom of God, bringing forth from his treasure not only new things, nor only old things. For if he brings forth only new things, or only old things; he is not a Scribe trained in the kingdom of God bringing forth from his treasure both new things and old. If he says these things, and does not do them; he brings them forth from the chair, not from the treasure of his heart. And we tell Your Holiness the truth; those things which are brought forth from the old are enlightened by the new. Therefore one turns to the Lord, so that the veil is removed.