Sermon 108

SERMO 108

OF THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL LUKE 12: 35-36:
"Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning." And so forth
OF THE WORDS OF PSALM 33, 12-15:
"WHO IS THE MAN WHO DESIRES LIFE", AND OTHER THINGS

On awaiting the coming of the Lord.

Our Lord Jesus Christ both came to humans, and departed from humans, and is going to come to humans. And yet He was here when He came, nor did He depart when He left, and He is going to those to whom He said, "Behold, I am with you even to the end of the age." Therefore, according to the form of a servant, which He took on for us, He was born at a certain time and was killed and rose again, and now He no longer dies, nor does death have dominion over Him any longer. However, according to divinity, by which He is equal to the Father, He was in this world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. From this, you heard the Gospel just now, what He warned us about, making us cautious, and wanting us to be ready and prepared to await the final things, so that after the last things, which are to be feared in this age, rest succeeds, which does not have an end. Blessed are those who will have been made participants. However, those who are not secure now will be secure then, and again, those who do not want to fear now will fear then. We have become Christians for this expectation and because of this hope. Is not our hope based on this world? Let us not love the world. We have been called from love of this world so that we may hope for and love another world. In this, we must abstain from all illicit cravings, that is, we must have our loins girded, and be fervent and shine in good deeds, that is, we must have burning lamps. For the Lord Himself said to His disciples in another place in the Gospel, "No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, so that it may shine for all who are in the house." And to show where He spoke from, He added and said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Three things commended in the Gospel.

Therefore, he wanted our loins to be girded and our lamps burning. What does it mean, to have girded loins? Turn away from evil. What does it mean to shine? What does it mean to have burning lamps? It means: And do good. What is added and said: And be like men waiting for their lord when he returns from the wedding; if not what follows in that psalm: Seek peace and pursue it? These three things, that is, abstaining from evil, doing good acts, and the hope of eternal reward, are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, where it is written that Paul taught them concerning self-discipline, righteousness, and the hope of eternal life. Concerning self-discipline: Let your loins be girded. Concerning righteousness: And your lamps burning. Concerning the Lord's expectation, which is the hope of eternal life. Therefore: Turn away from evil, this is self-discipline, these are the girded loins: And do good, this is righteousness, these are the burning lamps: Seek peace and pursue it, this is the expectation of the future age: therefore: Be like men waiting for their lord when he returns from the wedding.

Good days are sought in vain here.

Having these commandments and promises, why do we seek good days on earth where we cannot find them? For I know that you seek them when you are either sick or in tribulations, which abound in this age. For when age leans towards its end, and the old man is full of complaints, and without any joys. Amidst all the tribulations by which the human race is worn down, men seek nothing but good days and desire a long life, which they cannot have here. For even the long life of a man is compressed into such brevity compared to the breadth of that entire age, as if one drop were compared to the entire sea. What then is the life of man, even that which is called long? They call it a long life, which in this age is short: and, as I have said, groans abound until decrepit old age. All this is little and brief: and yet how is it sought by men? With how much diligence, how much labor, how much care, how much vigilance, how much effort do men seek to live long here and grow old? But what is it to live long but to run towards the end? You had yesterday, and you wish to have tomorrow. But when today and tomorrow have passed, you have less of it. Therefore you wish the day to dawn, so that it may bring you closer to what you do not want to reach. You present some ceremony to your friends, you hear there those wishing you well saying, "May you live many years": you wish for what they have said to come. What? That the years and years may come, and do you not wish for the end of the years to come? Your efforts are contradictory: you wish to walk, but not to arrive.

Life and good days where to be sought.

Nevertheless, as I have said, if so much care is inherent in humans that they desire with daily, great, and persistent labors to die more slowly; how much care must be taken that they may never die? No one wants to think about that. Every day people search for good days in this age, where they are not found: and no one wants to live in such a way that they may reach that place where they are found. Therefore, the same Scripture admonishes and says: Who is the man who desires life and loves to see good days? Scripture asked in this way to know what answer would be given: knowing that all men seek life and good days. It asked for the desire of them as if it were answered from the heart of all, "I do." Thus it said: Who is the man who desires life and loves to see good days? Just as at this hour, when I speak to you, when you heard me say: Who is the man who desires life and loves to see good days? you all answered in your heart, "I." For I, too, who speak with you, desire life and good days: what you seek, I seek also.

Here, least of all, is there a need to seek a good life and days.

Just as if gold were necessary for all of us, and I, wishing to reach the gold along with you, and it were somewhere in your field, in a place subject to your control, and I saw you searching for gold, and I said to you, "What are you seeking?" You would answer me, "Gold." And I would say to you, "You seek gold, and I seek gold; what you seek, I also seek; but you are not seeking it where we may find it. Therefore, listen to me about where we may find it: I do not take it from you, I show you the place: indeed, let us all follow him who knows where what we seek is." Likewise now, because you desire life and good days, we cannot say to you, "Do not desire life and good days," but we say this: "Do not seek life and good days here in this world, where they cannot be." Is not this life itself similar to death? The days themselves hasten and pass by; for today's day has excluded yesterday; tomorrow is therefore born to exclude today. The days themselves do not stand still: why do you want to stand still with them? Therefore, your desire, by which you want life and good days, not only do I not suppress, but I also urge even more intensely. Indeed, seek life, seek good days: but let them be sought where they can be found.

What must be done to obtain good days?

Do you want to hear with me the counsel of him who knows where good days are, and where life is? Listen not from me, but with me together. For a certain one says to us: Come, children, listen to me. And let us hurry, and stand, and prick up our ears, and understand with our hearts the Father who said: Come, children, listen to me; the fear of the Lord, he says: I will teach you. And what thing does he wish to teach, and to what thing is the fear of the Lord useful, he continues: Who is the man who desires life, and loves to see good days? We all respond, We do. Let us hear what follows. Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Say now, I. A moment ago when I said: Who is the man who desires life, and loves to see good days? we all were responding, I. Now let someone respond to me, I. Therefore: Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Say now, I. Therefore you wish for good days and life; you do not wish to keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit? Eager for the reward, lazy for the work. And to whom is a reward given if not to the one working? If only in your own house you would give a reward to one working. For I know that to one not working you do not give. Why? Because you owe nothing to one doing nothing. And God has promised a reward. What reward? Life and good days, which we all desire, and to which days we all strive to come. He will give the promised reward. What reward? Life and good days. And what are the good days? Life without end, rest without labor.

The tongue must be restrained.

A great reward has been proposed: with such a great reward proposed, let us see what he commanded. For now, kindled by the promise of such a reward and the love of that reward, let us prepare our strength, our sides, our arms, for his command. Is he perhaps about to command us to carry heavy burdens, to perhaps dig something, to perhaps erect some kind of machine? He did not command you a laborious task, but the member among all the members which you quickly move, he commanded you to restrain: Restrain your tongue from evil. It is not a labor to erect a structure; and is it labor to hold the tongue? Restrain your tongue from evil. Do not speak lies, do not speak accusations, do not speak slanders, do not speak false testimonies, do not speak blasphemies: Restrain your tongue from evil. See how you get angry if someone speaks ill of you. Just as you get angry at another when he speaks ill of you, so get angry at yourself when you speak ill of another. Let your lips not speak deceit. Let what is in your heart be said outwardly. Let not your breast conceal one thing and your tongue bring forth another. Turn away from evil, and do good. For how shall I say to him, Clothe the naked, who still wishes to strip the clothed? For he who oppresses his fellow citizen, how can he receive a stranger? Therefore, in order, first turn away from evil, and do good: first gird your loins, and then light the lamp. And when you have done this, securely await life and good days. Seek peace, and pursue it: and then with a good conscience you will say to the Lord: I have done what you commanded, render what you promised.