Sermon 119

SERMO 119

CONCERNING THE SAME WORDS OF JOHN (1, 1-4):
"In the beginning was the Word," etc.

The eternal Word with God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ became man to seek the lost man, our preaching has never been silent about this, and your faith has always held this; but this our Lord, who became man for us, has always been God with the Father, and will always be, indeed always is; because where time does not pass, there is no: Was, and: Will be. For what is said: Was, is no longer; what is said: Will be, is not yet; but always is, because truly is, that is, is immutable. Recently the evangelical chapter reminded us of a great and divine secret. For this the holy John proclaimed at the beginning of the Gospel, because he drank from the breast of the Lord. For you remember, and it was read to you very recently, how the holy John the Evangelist was reclining in the bosom of the Lord. Wishing to explain this clearly, he said: On the breast of the Lord; so that we might understand what he said, in the bosom of the Lord. For he who was reclining on the breast of the Lord, what do we suppose he was drinking? Let us not suppose, but let us drink; for now we too have heard what we shall drink.

The Word of God is not made.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. O proclaim! O breathe forth the fullness of the Lord's heart! In the beginning was the Word. What do you seek that was before? In the beginning was the Word. If the Word had been made (for it was not made through which all things were made); if the Word had been made, Scripture would say: In the beginning God made the Word; just as it said in Genesis: In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. Therefore, God did not make the Word in the beginning, because: In the beginning was the Word. This Word which was in the beginning, where was it? Follow: And the Word was with God. But we are accustomed, hearing human words daily, to hold this name of the Word in disdain. Here do not hold the name of the Word in disdain: The Word was God. This, that is, the Word, was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him; and without Him was nothing made.

The Word of God is incomprehensible.

Extend your hearts, assist the poverty of our speech. What I will be able to say, listen to; what I will not be able to say, think about. Who has comprehended the abiding Word? All our words sound and pass away. Who comprehends the abiding Word, except the one who abides in it? Do you want to comprehend the abiding Word? Do not follow the stream of flesh. For this flesh is indeed a river; it does not remain. Like from a certain secret source of nature, humans are born, humans live, humans die; we do not know where they come from, nor do we know where they go. The water is hidden until it progresses from the source; it runs and appears in the river; but again it is hidden in the sea. Let us contemn that flowing, running, and ending river, let us contemn it. All flesh is grass, and all the glory of flesh is like the flower of grass. The grass withered, the flower fell. Do you want to remain? But the Word of the Lord remains forever.

The Word was made flesh.

But that he might help us: the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us. What is: the Word was made flesh? Gold was made hay. Hay was made to be burned; hay was burned, but gold remained; and in the hay it did not perish, and transformed the hay. How did it transform? It resurrected, vivified, was lifted to heaven, and was seated at the right hand of the Father. But that it might be said: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, let us recall what preceded a little. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to become the sons of God. To become, because they were not; he, however, was in the beginning. Therefore, he gave them power to become the sons of God, to those believing in his name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. Behold, they are, in whatever age of flesh they may be; you see infants; see and rejoice. Behold, they are: but they were born of God. The womb of the mother, the water of Baptism.

The mystery of the Incarnation is urged.

No one should feel poor in spirit and dwell upon the most wretched thoughts, and say to himself: "How was it that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; all things were made through Him; and behold, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us?" Hear how it was done. Surely, to those who believed in His name, He gave the power to become children of God. Nor should those to whom He gave the power to become children of God think it impossible to become children of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Do not think it is too much for you to become children of God; for your sake, the Son of Man became what He who was the Son of God already was. If He, who was greater, became lesser so that He could become more than He was; can He not make us, who were lesser, become greater than we were? He descended to us, and will we not ascend to Him? He took upon Himself our death, and will He not give us His life? He suffered for your evils, and will He not give you His goods?

The Incarnation is the work of the omnipotent Word.

But how, he says, could it have been possible that the Word of God, by which the world is governed, through which all things were created and are created, could confine itself in the flesh of a Virgin; leave the world, and forsake the angels, be enclosed in the womb of one woman? You do not understand divine reasoning. The Word of God (I speak to you, O man, of the omnipotence of the Word of God) indeed could do all this, because the Word of God is omnipotent, and could remain with the Father, and come to us; and come to us in the flesh and remain hidden within himself. For if he had not been born of flesh, he would still have existed. He existed before his flesh; he himself created his mother. He chose in whom he would be conceived, he created the one from whom he would be created. Why do you marvel? I speak to you of God: the Word was God.

The incarnation of the Word is explained by a comparison.

I speak of the Word, and the human word may possibly be somewhat similar; although vastly unequal, vastly distinct, comparable by no particle, yet to be introduced to you by some likeness. Behold, the word I speak to you, I first had in my heart; it proceeded to you, yet did not leave me; it began to exist in you, which was not in you; it remained with me, even as it went out to you. Therefore, just as my word is spoken to your sense, yet did not leave my heart; so that Word was spoken to our sense, yet did not depart from His Father. My word was with me, and it proceeded into a voice: the Word of God was with the Father, and it proceeded into flesh. But can I do with my voice what He could with His flesh? For I cannot hold my spoken voice; but He not only retained His flesh, that He might be born, live, act; but even resurrected it when dead, and raised it as a vehicle by which He came to us, to the Father. You may call the flesh of Christ a garment, a vehicle, and as He perhaps deigned to signify Himself, you may call it His beast of burden; for on that beast He lifted him who had been wounded by robbers; finally, as He Himself more openly said, you may call it a temple; this temple has already known death, it sits at the right hand of the Father; in this temple, He will come to judge the living and the dead. What He admonished us by commandment, He demonstrated by example. What He showed in His flesh, that you should hope for in your own flesh. This is faith, hold on to what you do not yet see. It is necessary that you remain believing in what you do not see; lest when you see, you be ashamed.