Sermon 110
SERMO 110
On the Fig Tree in Which the Lord Found Only Leaves
AND ABOUT THE WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN BENT FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS IN INFIRMITY
The fig tree signifies the human race.
Hear what the Lord has given concerning the fig tree, which for three years had not borne fruit, and concerning the woman who had been in infirmity for eighteen years. The fig tree is the human race; the three years are three periods: one before the law, another under the law, the third under grace. It is not inappropriate for the fig tree to be understood as the human race. For the first man, when he sinned, covered his shame with fig leaves; he covered where we were born; the members that before sin were to be gloried in, after sin became shameful. Finally: They were naked, and they were not ashamed; there was nothing to shame them, since sin had not preceded; nor could they be ashamed of the works of their Creator, because no evil mixed with the good works of their Creator. Thus, the human race was born from this: man from man, the vulnerable from the debtor, the mortal from the mortal, the sinner from the sinner. Therefore, he calls in this tree those who did not wish to give fruit at any time; and the axe was lying at the root of the fruitless tree. The vinedresser intervenes: the punishment is deferred that assistance may be applied. But what does the vinedresser intervene for? Every saint within the Church prays for those who are outside the Church. And what does he pray for? Lord, forgive him this year also. That is, during this time under grace spare sinners, spare the unfaithful, spare the barren, spare the fruitless. I will dig around it and apply a basket of manure; if it bears fruit, well; if not, you will cut it down when you come. When will he come? At the judgment. When will he come? From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. In the meantime, mercy is granted. But what is it to dig a trench around it, except to teach the humility of repentance? For the trench is humble earth. Understand the basket of manure in a good sense. Dirt it is, but it gives fruit. The dirt of the vinedresser is the sorrow of the sinner; those who act in repentance act in dirt, if they understand truly and act sincerely. Therefore, it is said to this tree: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
What about that woman having eighteen years in infirmity.
What about that woman, having eighteen years? Recall. In six days, God completed His works. Three times six, eighteen. Therefore, what the three years on the tree signified, this eighteen years in that woman. She was bent, she could not look upward, because she heard upwards in her heart without reason. But the Lord raised her up. There is hope, but for the children. Until the day of judgment comes, man gives himself much. And what is man? Not even a just man is anything, as far as pertains to the man himself. For a just man is something great, but still a just man is a just man by the grace of God. For: What is man, except that You are mindful of him? Do you want to see what man is? Every man is a liar. We sang: Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. What does it mean: Let not man prevail? Were the Apostles not men? Were the martyrs not men? Jesus Himself deigned to be man. So what does it mean: Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail, if every man is a liar? Arise, truth, let not falsehood prevail. Therefore, if man wishes to be something, he should not be of his own; if he wishes to be of his own, he will be a liar; if he wishes to be truthful, he will be of God, not of his own.
What it means: Arise, Lord; let not man prevail.
Therefore: Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. So powerful was the lie before the flood; after the flood, eight men remained; through them, the earth was filled with deceitful men. The people of God were chosen; so many miracles were done, divine benefits bestowed. They were led to the promised land, delivered from the servitude of the Egyptians; prophets were sent to them, they received the temple, they received the priesthood, they received the anointing, they received the law; but: "Strangers have lied to me." At the last, he who was promised was sent. Let not man prevail, either because God was already made man. But even he, performing divine acts, was despised, providing so many benefits he was seized, scourged, and hanged. Until this point, man prevailed, seizing the Son of God, scourging the Son of God, crowning the Son of God with thorns, and hanging the Son of God on a tree. Man prevailed only so far: but as long as he was taken down from the cross, placed in the tomb. If he had remained there, man would have prevailed. But this prophecy even addresses him: "Lord, you deigned to come in the flesh, the Word made flesh, the Word above us, the flesh before us, the Word made flesh between God and man; you chose the Virgin through whom you would be born according to the flesh, you were found conceived by the Virgin, born you left the Virgin." But you were not recognized: you appeared, and you were hidden; weakness appeared, power was hidden. All this, so that you would shed your blood as our price. You performed so many wonders, bestowed benefits on the illnesses of the sick; you received evil for good, you were insulted; you hung on the wood, your head was shaken by the wicked before you, and it was said: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." Did you then lose power, or rather show patience? And yet they insulted, they mocked, they left as victors as if you had been killed. And behold, you lie in the tomb. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail; let not the wicked enemy prevail, let not the blind Jews prevail. For when you are crucified, the blind Jew seems to have prevailed over you: but you rose again and made him guilty. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. And it has been done. And what remains, but: "Let the nations be judged in your sight"? For he rose again, as you know, he ascended into heaven, from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
The certainty of the coming judgment is proven by the fulfillment of so many other predictions.
Behold, barren tree, do not mock because you are spared; the axe is delayed, do not be secure: it will come, you will be cut down. Believe, it will come. All these things that you see did not exist. The Christian people once did not exist throughout the world; it was read in prophecy, it was not seen on earth; but now it is both read and seen. Thus the Church itself is addressed; it was not said to it: See, daughter, and hear, but: Hear, and see; hear the prophecies, see the fulfillments. Therefore, beloved, was not Christ born from the Virgin: he was promised and born; he had not worked miracles: they were promised, and he did; he had not yet suffered: it was promised, and it was done; he had not risen: it was foretold, and it was fulfilled; he had not ascended into heaven: it was said beforehand, and it was fulfilled; his name was not throughout the whole world: it was foretold, and it was fulfilled; idols were not destroyed and broken: and it was done; heretics attacking the Church did not exist: it was predicted, and it was fulfilled; thus the day of judgment is not yet, but because it was predicted, it will be fulfilled. He who appeared so truthful in so many matters, will he be a liar on the day of judgment? He made the document of his promises for us; for by promising himself God made himself a debtor, not by receiving a loan. Can we say to him: Return what you received? Who gave to him first, and it will be repaid to him? We cannot say: Return what you received; but we plainly say: Return what you promised.
Let the one who is barren do penance.
He promised our fathers: but he made a caution, which we also might read. If he should make an account with us, who deigned to make a caution, and say: Read my debts, that is, of my promises, and compute what I have rendered; compute, see what I owe: how much I have rendered! It is a little that I owe: of the little, which remains, do you think me an unfaithful promiser? Therefore, let whoever is barren do penance, and make the fruit worthy of penance. Whoever is bent and looks at the earth, rejoices in earthly happiness, thinks this alone is life, where he can be blessed, does not believe in another; whoever is thus bent, let him be raised; if he cannot by himself, let him call upon God. For was that woman raised by herself? Woe to her if He had not extended His hand.