Sermon 101
SERMO 101
SERMON TO BE DELIVERED AT CARTHAGE IN THE BASILICA OF FAUSTUS
Of the Harvest and the Sower and the Preaching of the Gospel
The harvest is among the Jews, the sowing among the Gentiles.
In the reading of the Gospel that was just recited, we are admonished to seek what harvest it is about which the Lord said: "The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send laborers into his harvest." Then he added to his twelve disciples, whom he also named Apostles, another seventy-two, and sent them all, as it appears from his words, into the prepared harvest. Therefore, what was that harvest? For that harvest was not among the Gentiles, where nothing had been sown. Therefore, it remains for us to understand that this harvest was among the people of the Jews. To that harvest, the Lord of the harvest came; to that harvest he sent reapers: but to the Gentiles, not reapers, but sowers. We should therefore understand that the harvest was made among the Jewish people, the sowing among the peoples of the Gentiles. For from that harvest the Apostles were chosen. There, when it was already being reaped, it was ripe; because there the Prophets had sown. It is pleasing to look at the agriculture of God, and to be delighted by his gifts, and by the laborers in his field. For in this agriculture he was working who said: "I labored more than all of them." But strength was given to him to work by the Lord of the harvest: therefore he added: "Not I, but the grace of God with me." For he sufficiently showed that he was involved in agriculture, where he said: "I planted, Apollos watered." But this Apostle from Saul to Paul, that is from proud to least: for Saul is named after Saul; but Paul is small: whence interpreting his name in a certain way, he said: "I am the least of the Apostles." This Paul, therefore, that is, small and least, sent to the Gentiles, says that he was especially sent to the Gentiles. He writes, we read, we believe, we preach. Therefore, he says in his Epistle which is to the Galatians, that he, called already by the Lord Jesus, had come to Jerusalem, and had conferred the Gospel with the Apostles, had received the right hands from them, and the sign of concord, the sign of agreement, that had learned nothing different from them. Then he says it pleased each other that he should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision; he the sower, they the reapers. Rightly also the Athenians, although not knowing, called him by his name. For hearing the word from him: "Who is this sower of words?" they say.
The harvest is twofold: of the Jews and of the Gentiles.
Therefore, pay attention, and delight with me in examining the agriculture of God, and in it two harvests, one past, the other future: the past in the Jewish people, the future among the peoples of the Gentiles. Let us prove this: and from where else but from the Scripture of God, the Lord of the harvest? Behold, we have it said in the present chapter: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. But because in that harvest there were to be contradictors and persecutors, the Jews: Behold, he says, I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves. Let us show something more evident about this harvest in the Gospel according to John: at the well where the tired Lord sat, there were indeed great mysteries enacted, but there is little time to consider them all. As it pertains to the present matter, listen. We have undertaken to show the harvest among the peoples, among whom the Prophets preached: for they were the sowers, that the Apostles might be the reapers. The Samarian woman speaks with the Lord Jesus, and among other things, when the Lord had told her how God must be worshiped, she says: We know that the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ, and he will teach us all things. And the Lord to her: I am he who speaks with you. Believe what you hear: why do you seek what you see? I am he who speaks with you. But what she had said: We know that Messiah will come, whom Moses and the Prophets announced, who is called Christ. Then indeed the ear of grain was already formed. It had received the Prophets as sowers, it awaited the Apostles to mature as reapers. As soon as she heard this, she believed, and left her water jar, and hastened to run, she began to announce the Lord. The disciples had then gone to buy bread: returning they found the Lord speaking with the woman, and they were amazed. Yet they did not dare ask him: What or why do you speak with her? They had admiration within themselves, they pressed their daring in their hearts. To this Samaritan woman, the name of Christ was not new, she was already expecting him to come, she already believed he would come. From where had she believed, had not Moses sown? But hear this more expressly. Then the Lord said to his disciples: You say that summer is still far off, lift up your eyes, and see the fields white for harvest. And he adds: Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. Abraham labored, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the Prophets; they labored in sowing; in the Lord's advent the harvest was found mature. The reapers sent with the sickle of the Gospel, they brought the sheaves to the Lord’s threshing floor, where Stephen was threshed.
The seed of the Gospel transmitted to the nations.
But here comes Paul, and he is sent to the Gentiles. And he does not remain silent in commending the grace he especially and appropriately received. For he says in his writings that he was sent to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named. But now that harvest has been made, and all the Jews who have remained, let us consider the harvest, which is us. For it was sown by the Apostles and Prophets. The Lord himself sowed (for he was in the Apostles, as Christ himself reaped. For they did nothing without him: he is perfect without them. For he himself said to them: Because without me, you can do nothing). Therefore, Christ, sowing among the Gentiles, says what? A sower went out to sow. There the reapers are sent to harvest, here the sower went out to sow diligently. For what did he fear, that some fell on the path, some on rocky places, some among thorns? If he feared these difficult soils, he would not reach the good soil. What matters to us, what is there now to dispute about the Jews and talk about the chaff? Let the eye be on us, not on the path, not on the rock, not among thorns, but on the good soil (my heart is prepared, God) from which thirtyfold, sixtyfold, hundredfold will come forth. That is less, and that is more; but it is all wheat. Let it not be the path, where the seed trampled by passersby is taken away by the enemy like a bird. Let it not be the rock, where a little soil makes it germinate quickly, which cannot bear the sun. Let it not be the thorns, the desires of the world, the worries of a vicious life. For what is worse than the worry of life that does not permit one to reach life? What is more miserable than losing life while caring for life? What is more unfortunate than fearing death and falling into death? Let the thorns be uprooted, the field prepared, the seeds received, the harvest reached, the barn desired, and the fire not feared.
The roles of a shepherd to explain to the people what benefits them.
Therefore, it pertains to us, whom the Lord has established as whatever kind of workers in His field, to say these things to you, to sow, to plant, to water, even to dig around some trees and apply a basket of manure; it pertains to us to do these things faithfully: to you, to receive faithfully: to the Lord, to assist us working, and you believing, all laborers but conquering the world in Him. So what pertains to you, I have said: what pertains to us, I want to say. But perhaps it seems to someone among you that I said I want to say something superfluous, and speaking to himself in thought says: Oh if he would dismiss us now! He has already said what pertains to us; what pertains to him, what to us? I think it better that in alternate and mutual love we pertain to you. For indeed, of one family you are now, we are stewards of the same family indeed, we all pertain to one Lord. Nor do I give what is mine; but of Him from whom I also receive. For if I give what is mine, I will give a lie. For he who speaks a lie, speaks from his own. Therefore you ought to hear what pertains to the steward, whether so that in you yourselves, if you find such, you may rejoice, or even in this very thing you may be instructed. For how many future stewards are in this people? And we were there where you are: and we who now seem to distribute food from a higher place to fellow servants, a few years ago, in a lower place, were receiving food with fellow servants. I speak as a bishop to the laity: but hence I know I speak to many future bishops.
Precepts established for preachers should not be understood carnally.
So let us see how we ourselves understand what the Lord commanded those whom He sent to preach the Gospel and reap the ready harvest. Let us see. "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road." And into whatever house you enter, say: Peace to this house. If there is a son of peace there, your peace will rest upon him; if not, it will return to you. We must briefly survey all these things. "Carry no purse," He says. What do we do? We confess, we carry a purse when we travel: we carry money on the road. Neither a bag. Perhaps we do not carry a bag. Nor sandals. What then? Did He command us to walk barefoot? You see it yourselves: we walk wearing sandals. For we do not speak words and hide our feet; before your eyes we walk wearing sandals. And indeed, if anyone greets us on the road and we do not greet them, we will be judged arrogant; we are blasphemed in the name of the Lord. Therefore, we greet people on the road as well. It is now easy, when we enter a house, to say: Peace to this house. But how do we deal with the purse, the sandals (let us look at the Lord Himself, if perhaps He consoles us and grants us the understanding of these words. Because even this very thing that we said is easy, to say when entering a house: Peace to this house, than which nothing is easier), what follows if we take it carnally, and we are in danger even there. For what does He say? “Say: Peace to this house.” Nothing easier. But what follows? "If there is a son of peace there, your peace will rest upon him; if not, it will return to you." What is this? How does peace return to me? I will then have it if it returns; if it rested, did I lose it? Let this be far from the minds of the sane. Therefore, neither should that be taken carnally, and perhaps neither the purse, nor the sandals, nor the bag, and especially that part where, if we simply accept it without discussion, arrogance seems imposed upon us, that we do not greet anyone on the road.
The commandment concerning not carrying a purse.
Let us attend to our Lord, the true example and aid. Let us prove that He is our aid: Without me, you can do nothing; let us prove that He is our example: Christ suffered for us, as Peter says, leaving us an example, that we might follow His footsteps. This Lord of ours had a purse on the way, He entrusted the very purse to Judas. Indeed, He endured a thief. But I, with the peace of my Lord, desiring to learn, say to my Lord: Lord, you endured the thief Judas; from where did you have something to be taken away from you? You warned wretched, infirm me not to carry a purse. You carried the purses, and there was a place for you to endure a thief. If you did not carry them, he would not have found something to steal. What remains except that He says to me: Understand what you hear: Do not carry a purse? What is a purse? Enclosed money: hidden wisdom. What is: Do not carry a purse? Do not become wise in your own estimation. Receive the Spirit: the fountain must be in you, not the purse; from which to distribute, not where to enclose. This is the same as the purse as the wallet.
On not putting on shoes.
What are shoes? What are the shoes that we use? They are skins from corpses. The skins of the dead are our footwear. So what are we commanded? To renounce the works of the dead. This is what Moses is warned in the figure to glory when the Lord says to him: "Remove your shoes. For the place on which you stand is holy ground." What is as holy ground as the Church of God? Therefore, standing in it, let us remove our shoes, let us renounce the works of the dead. As for those shoes with which we walk, the same Lord comforts me. If He were not shod, John would not say of Him: "I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal." So let there be intelligent obedience; let not proud hardness creep in. "I," He says, "fulfill the Gospel, because I walk barefoot. You can. I cannot. Let us keep what we have received together. Let us burn with love: let us love one another. And thus it will come to pass that I will love your strength and you will bear my weakness."
What does it mean: Greet no one on the way.
What do you think, you who did not want to understand how these things were spoken, and are compelled by a perverse understanding to slander the Lord Himself about the money bags and sandals? What do you think? Does it please you so much that, while traveling, we might meet our dear ones and not greet the elders, not return the greetings of those younger? Do you fulfill the Gospel for this reason because you are healthy and silent? Here indeed, you will not be like a traveler on a journey, but like a milestone pointing the way. Therefore, let us put away foolishness, understand the Lord's words, and greet no one on the road. For we are not commanded this without reason; otherwise, He would not want us to do what He commanded. What then is it: Greet no one on the road? This can indeed be taken simply in this way; because He instructed us to carry out our tasks urgently, and thus He said: Greet no one on the road, as if saying: Overlook everything while you fulfill what is assigned, with that manner of speech which tends to emphasize words by the custom of speaking. Let us not go far afield. In the same speech, He says shortly after: And you, Capernaum, which has been exalted to heaven, will be brought down to hell. What is this: Exalted to heaven? Did the walls of that city touch the clouds, reach the stars? But what is it: Exalted to heaven? You seem exceedingly fortunate to yourself; exceedingly powerful, exceedingly proud. Just as, therefore, this was said for the sake of exaggeration: Exalted to heaven, to that city which indeed neither ascended nor was exalted to heaven, so for the sake of exaggeration concerning urgency it was said: So run, act in such a way that what I have commanded, so that not even the smallest things delay you; but, despising everything, hasten to the proposed end.
A deeper meaning.
But there is another thing that I think about more here. I do not feign to understand what pertains more to me, to all of us stewards, but also to you listeners. He who greets says health. For even the ancients in their letters used to write thus: "He to him, health." A greeting took its name from health. What then is it: Greet no one on the road? Those who greet on the road greet by chance (I see you quickly understood; yet I should not finish yet. For not all quickly understood. I saw in voice the ones who understood; I see more in silent searching. But because we are talking about the way, let us walk as on the way. Be quick, wait for the slow, and walk together). What then did I say? He who greets on the road greets by chance, he was not going to the one whom he greets. He was doing something else, something else occurred. He was seeking something else, he found something else laterally to do. What then is it to greet by chance? To announce health by chance. But what is it to announce health other than to preach the Gospel? If then you preach, do this by love, not by chance. For there are men who, while seeking something else, announce the Gospel: about whom the Apostle says with lament: For all seek their own, not the things which are of Jesus Christ. And these were greeting, that is announcing health, preaching the Gospel, but they sought something else, and therefore they were greeting by chance. And what is this? If you were such, whoever you are, you do. Rather (not such whoever does, but perhaps such someone) who does, if you were such, you do not do, but it is done about you.
How preachers seeking their own things are to be heard.
For even the Apostle admitted such; yet he did not command that they should be such. And they do something, and profit comes from them. They seek something else and proclaim Christ. Concern yourself not with what the proclaimer seeks; hold onto what he proclaims. Pay no attention to what he wants; it is not your concern. Hear salvation from his mouth; hold onto salvation from his mouth. Do not be a judge of his heart. But you see him seeking other things. What is that to you? Hear salvation. Do what they say. He made you secure. What? Do what they say. They do evil: Do not do what they do. They do good; they do not greet on the way, they do not preach the Gospel by occasion; be imitators of them, as they are of Christ. A good man preaches to you: seize the grape from the vine. A bad man preaches to you: seize the grape hanging on the hedge. The cluster grew with an entwined tendril among the thorns and did not sprout from the thorns. Clearly, when you see such a thing and are hungry, carefully seize it, lest, when you reach for the grape, you be torn by the thorns. This is what I mean: thus hear what is good, so that you do not imitate bad manners. He preaches from occasion, he greets on the way; it will harm him that he did not hear Christ’s command: Greet no one on the way; it will not harm you, who either from a passerby or from a coming person hear salvation, you hold onto salvation. Hear the Apostle, as I promised, admitting these things: What then? So long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, and will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your supplication.
Preachers were commanded to bring peace.
Such, therefore, are the Apostles of Christ, preachers of the Gospel, not greeting in the street; that is, not seeking something else, but announcing the Gospel with genuine charity, they come to the house and say: Peace to this house. They do not only say this with their mouths; what they are full of, they pour out. They preach peace and they have peace. They are not like those of whom it is said: Peace, peace, and there is no peace. What is: Peace, peace, and there is no peace? They preach it and do not have it; they praise it and do not love it; they say it and do not do it. But still, you receive peace, whether in pretense or in truth Christ is announced. Therefore, the one who is full of peace and greets: Peace to this house, if there is there a son of peace, his peace shall rest upon him; if not, perhaps there is no son of peace there, he who greeted has lost nothing: to you, he says, it shall return. What did not depart from you returns to you. For this is what he meant to say: It benefits you that you announced it; it did not benefit him who did not receive it. Not because he remained empty, therefore you lost your reward. It is returned to you for your will; it is returned to you for the charity you expended. He will return to you who assured you with the angelic voice: Peace on earth to men of good will.