Sermon 122

SERMO 122

ABOUT THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (1, 48-51):
"When you were under the fig tree, I saw you," etc.

Nathanael under the fig tree, the human race under sin.

What we heard spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ to Nathanael, if we understand it well, does not pertain only to him himself. For indeed, the Lord Jesus saw the whole human race under the fig tree. In this context, by the fig tree, it is understood to signify sin. It does not signify this everywhere, but in this place, as I said, with the congruence of signification whereby you know that the first man, when he sinned, was covered with fig leaves. For they covered their shameful parts with these leaves when they were ashamed of their sin; and what God made for them, they made shameful for themselves. For there is no need to be ashamed of the work of God: but the cause of sin preceded confusion. If iniquity had not preceded, nakedness would never have caused shame. For they were naked and were not ashamed. They had not committed anything of which to be ashamed. Why did I mention this? So that through the fig, we might understand that sin was signified. What then does: When you were under the fig tree, I saw you mean? When you were under sin, I saw you. And indeed, referring to the actual event, Nathanael remembered being under the fig tree, where Christ was not present. But he was not there bodily; where, however, is he not present with spiritual knowledge? And because he knew he had been alone under the fig tree, where the Lord Christ was not when he said to him: When you were under the fig tree, I saw you; he recognized the divinity in him and exclaimed: You are the King of Israel.

The dream of Jacob was a figure.

The Lord said: Because I told you: I saw you when you were under the fig tree, from there you wonder; you will see greater things than these. What are these greater things? And He said: You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Let us recall the old story written in the Holy Book, that is in Genesis. When Jacob slept in a place, he placed a stone at his head; and in a dream he saw a ladder reaching from the earth up to heaven; and the Lord leaned upon it; and the angels went up and down on it. This Jacob saw. A man's dream would not be written unless some great mystery was symbolized in it, and something great prophesied in that vision was understood. Finally, as Jacob himself understood what he had seen, he placed the stone there, and poured oil on it. For you recognize the chrism: recognize also Christ. For he is the stone which the builders rejected; he became the head of the corner. He is the stone, of which he himself said: Whoever stumbles upon that stone will be shattered; upon whom, however, that stone falls, it will crush him. One stumbles upon it lying down: but it will fall upon him when He comes from above to judge the living and the dead. Woe to the Jews, because when Christ lay humbly, they stumbled over him. They say, This man is not from God, who breaks the Sabbath. If he is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross. Fool, the stone lies there, and so you mock. But while you mock, you are blind; while you are blind, you stumble; while you stumble, you are shattered; once shattered while it lies thus, afterwards falling from above, you will be crushed. Therefore Jacob anointed the stone. Did he make an idol? He signified it, he did not worship it. Therefore now listen, consider that Nathanael, on whose occasion the Lord Jesus wished to explain to us the vision of Jacob.

On the dual name and the struggle of Jacob.

You who have been educated in the school of Christ know that Jacob is also Israel. They are two names for one man. The first name was Jacob, given at his birth, which means "Supplanter." When those twins were born, the brother Esau was born first, and the hand of the younger one was found on the heel of the older one. He held onto his brother's heel as he was preceded in birth, and he himself followed. Because of this act, because he held his brother’s heel, he was called Jacob, that is, Supplanter. Later, as he was returning from Mesopotamia, an angel wrestled with him on the way. What strength can be compared to that of an angel and a man? Therefore, it is a mystery, a sacrament, a prophecy, a figure; let us understand. For see also the manner of wrestling. While he wrestled, Jacob prevailed over the angel. Great significance. And when he had prevailed over the angel, he held him; nevertheless, the man held the one whom he had defeated. And he said to him: "I will not let you go unless you bless me." When the victor was blessed by the vanquished, Christ was foreshadowed. Therefore, that angel, who is understood to be the Lord Jesus, said to Jacob: "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but your name shall be Israel," which means "Seeing God." Then he touched the nerve of his thigh, that is, the breadth of Jacob's thigh, and it dried up; and Jacob became lame. He is the one who was defeated. The one who was defeated had so much power that he also touched his thigh and made him lame. Therefore, he was willingly defeated. For he had the power to lay down his strength and the power to take it up again. The defeated does not get angry, because the crucified does not get angry. For he also blessed him, saying: “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.” Then "supplanter" became "seeing God." And he touched, as I said, his thigh and made him lame. Pay attention to Jacob, the Jewish people, those thousands who followed and preceded the Lord's beast, those who joined the Apostles in worshipping the Lord, crying out: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Behold Jacob, blessed. Now, lameness remained in those who are now Jews. The breadth of the thigh signifies the multitude of the people. About whom the Psalm, when it prophesied about the Gentiles believing, said: "The people whom I did not know served me, they obeyed me by the hearing of the ear." I was not there, yet I was heard; I was here, and I was killed. "The people whom I did not know served me, they obeyed me by the hearing of the ear. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." And it continues: "Foreign children lied to me," referring to the Jews. "Foreign children lied to me; foreign children grew old, and they limped away from their paths." I have assigned to you Jacob, both blessed and lame.

Why does Abraham not retain his first name along with the latter, while Jacob, on the contrary, does?

However, from this occasion, it must not be overlooked what might perhaps spontaneously disturb some of you; what does it mean that, when the name of Abraham, the grandfather of this Jacob, was changed (for he was previously called Abram, and God changed his name, and said: "You will not be called Abram but Abraham"), he was not thereafter called Abram. Search the Scriptures and you will see that before he received another name, he was called only Abram; after he received it, he was called only Abraham. However, this Jacob, when he received another name, heard the same words: "You will not be called Jacob, but you will be called Israel." Search the Scriptures and you will see that he was always called both Jacob and Israel. Having received another name, Abram was called only Abraham; having received another name, Jacob was called both Jacob and Israel. The name of Abraham needed to be explained in this age; for here he was made the father of many nations, from which he received his name. But the name Israel pertains to the other age, where we will see God. Therefore, the people of God, the Christian people, at this time are both Jacob and Israel; Jacob in reality, Israel in hope. For the smaller people of the greater people are called the supplanter of the brother. Have we not supplanted the Jews? But we are called their supplanters because they were supplanted for our sake. If they had not been blinded, Christ would not have been crucified; if Christ had not been crucified, that precious blood would not have been shed; if that blood had not been shed, the world would not have been redeemed. Because their blindness benefited us, therefore the greater was supplanted by the lesser brother, and the lesser was called “Supplanter.” But for how long?

To the faithful Israelite, the vision of God is promised.

A time will come, the end of the age will come, and all of Israel will believe; not those who are now, but their children who will then be. For now, those walking in their own ways will go to their places, they will pass into perpetual damnation. However, when the whole people are made one, what we sing will come true: "I shall be satisfied, when your glory is manifested." When the promise comes, which is promised to us, that we may see face to face. Now we see through a glass, darkly, and in part; but when both people are purified, resurrected, crowned, changed into an immortal form and perpetual incorruption, they will see God face to face, and Jacob will no longer exist, but only Israel; then the Lord will see him in the person of this holy Nathanael and say: "Behold, a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit." When you hear: "Behold, a true Israelite," let Israel come to your mind; when Israel comes to your mind, let the dream come to your mind, in which he saw a ladder set up from earth to heaven, the Lord above it, and Angels of God ascending and descending. Jacob saw this dream. After this, he was called Israel: that is, after a little while coming from Mesopotamia and making his journey. If therefore Jacob saw the ladder, who was also called Israel; and this Nathanael is indeed a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit; therefore, when the Lord said to him in amazement, "I saw you under the fig tree," he said to him: "You will see greater things than these." And again he mentioned Jacob's dream. To whom did he say this? To him whom he called an Israelite, in whom there was no deceit. As if saying: "The dream of the one whose name I called you by will appear in you; do not hasten to marvel, you will see greater things than these." You will see heaven opened and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Behold what Jacob saw: behold why Jacob anointed the stone with oil; behold why Jacob prefigured and symbolized Christ. For that deed was a prophecy.

Christ is both here and above.

Now I know what you are waiting for: I understand what you want to hear from me. I will say this briefly too, as the Lord grants: Angels ascending and descending to the Son of Man. How is it that if they descend to him, he is here; if they ascend to him, he is above? But if they ascend to him, they descend to him, and he is above and here. It cannot be that they ascend to him and descend to him unless he is both where they ascend and here where they descend. How do we prove that he is both there and here? Let Paul answer us, who was first Saul. He himself experienced this when he was first a persecutor and later became a preacher: first Jacob, later Israel; he too was from the stock of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin. In him, let us see Christ above, Christ below. First, the voice of the Lord himself from heaven showed this: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Had Paul ascended to heaven? Had Paul at least thrown a stone into heaven? He was persecuting Christians, binding them, dragging them off to be killed, searching for them wherever they were hiding, sparing none once he found them. The Lord Christ said to him: Saul, Saul. From where does he call? From heaven. Therefore, he is above. Why do you persecute me? Therefore, he is below. I have explained everything, as briefly as I could, to your Charity. I have dispensed what pertains to me: as for what pertains to you, think of the poor. Turn to the Lord, etc.