Sermon 130A
Sermon 130
Food not that perishes, but that endures forever
The living bread, Christ seeks the hungry people.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who called himself the bread, seeks those who hunger. However, this bread is not hungered for except by the health of the mind, that is, the interior stomach. From this visible bread, take the likeness. For ailing men, who have contracted a distaste through illness, can praise the best bread but cannot eat it; likewise, the sickness of the inner man does not move the inner man to eat this heavenly bread, because he is oppressed by distaste, and, although he praises it, he does not delight in taking it. But the Lord himself says, as we have heard: Work for the food which does not perish, but which remains unto eternal life, distinguishing it from this visible and bodily food, of which elsewhere: Whatever enters the mouth, goes into the stomach, and is cast out into the privy- thus it perishes. Therefore, he says, work for the food which does not perish, but which remains unto eternal life. He called this food bread and showed that he himself is the bread. What does it mean to work for this food, except to eat this food? If this food is bread, moreover Christ is bread. Who of us works for Christ, who of us makes Christ, unless he does what Christ commanded? You are, says the apostle, the body of Christ and members. Let us work for Christ, that is, let us work for this food.
The work of God, to believe in Christ.
Those who asked and listened well, heard us and asked us. What should we do, they ask, to perform the work of God? And in that wondrous and great brevity, He said: This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. This is short: if you weigh it, it is great. It is quickly said, but not easily done. Someone from the great multitude surrounding me says, "Which of us has not believed in Christ?" If therefore we have all believed in Christ, we no longer find what to be admonished. Why? Because this is the work of God. Do you seek to do anything other than the work of God and expect the reward of God? Why then do you trouble yourself, why do you busy yourself over the great pages of Scripture and labor by running through them seeking to find out how you should do the work of God? Behold, you have it, from your Lord speaking to you, truth and brevity: do not stretch yourself out, do not sweat, do not labor, do not be agitated. This is the work of God, He says, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. Where then is that which James admonishes saying: Do you believe that there is one God? You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. Do not think, he said, that you are doing something great by believing that there is one God: Even the demons believe and tremble. But perhaps the demons do not have faith in the Son of God? Why then do they say to Him: We know who you are? Are they perhaps lying? Do they say what they do not know? Behold, in another place, more plainly: They say, You are the holy one of God, also You are the Son of God. When Peter said this, he heard from the Lord: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you, Simon Bar-Jonah, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church. Why all this? Because he said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. The demons also said this, to whom it was said: Be silent. Who easily discerns these matters, why the same voice is not praised, except because the heart is different? Understand therefore, beloved, that we admonish, what you read and say daily. The demons also believed that Christ is and believe that He is the Son of God. They believed Christ, but did not believe in Christ. Now, all the intent of our discourse depends, as much as possible, if we are able with the Lord's help, to explain what it is to believe in Christ.
Let us believe in him who justifies the ungodly.
For this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. He did not say "believe him" or "believe that he", but believe in him. We have heard the words of the prophets: we believe them, but we do not believe in them. We have heard the preaching apostles: we believe their preaching, but we do not believe in them. We do not believe in Paul, but we believe Paul. For he repels certain people wanting to place their hope in him and believe in him as if to say, "Paul was crucified for you, or were you baptized in his name?" Finally, not only the apostles and holy teachers, but even we ourselves, who are not to be compared to their least footsteps, daily say: "Believe me," but never dare to say: "Believe in me." "Believe me": who does not say this? "Believe in me": who says this or who is not insane that says it? In whom, then, is one to believe? About whom did Paul himself say: "To the one who believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Therefore, it is not Paul who justifies the ungodly, for you would believe in him, and your faith would be credited as righteousness; for, indeed, you would believe in him who justifies the ungodly. For, when you do not believe in him - for Paul does not justify the ungodly, nor Elijah, nor anyone angel, but the just of the just, the holy of the holy, of whom it is said: "That he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith." It can be said about you that you are just, but never is it heard that you are also justifying. What does it mean to justify, if not to make just? Just as vivifying makes alive, just as saving makes safe, so too does justifying make just. Who makes just? He who came just without sin. Who makes just? He who was not made just here, but came just. Behold in whom we should believe, so that we may do the work of God, because this very thing is the work of God, to believe in him who justifies the ungodly.
Let us be inflamed with love for the reward promised to us.
It is enough for me, someone says; I have believed in Christ: why do you admonish me further? This is the work of God: let Him who promised a reward require nothing else from me. For He who promises a reward commands me what to do and promises what I shall receive. Therefore, He sets the limit of work when I am inflamed by the love of reward. He says to me: "Do you wish to live forever?" because of him who asked: What shall I do to have eternal life? "Do you wish to live forever? Do this, and you will live." When I ask: What shall I do? He responds very briefly: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." Why then did He say to the rich man: If you want to enter life, keep the commandments, and when he said: "Which commandments?" the precepts of the law were enumerated: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself? Could He not also respond to him in that very brief summary, answering, What shall I do to have eternal life? "Believe in Me"? For this is the work of God, which nothing else can surpass. This is the work of God—what more do you seek?—that you believe in Him whom He
He sent him. He is given instructions and many things, but it is said to us: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. Has the Lord perhaps dealt graciously with us; did he want to burden him, not relieve him? God forbid! Let us understand, therefore, if we can—as we have promised to explain as much as we can—what it means to believe in Christ, and let us do this, let us work at this, let us advance daily in this, let us approach this day by day, until by approaching we arrive. For this is also what we promised at the beginning of our faith, that we began in some part, and when we have perfected it, nothing more will be demanded from us. For this is the work of God, nor is there anything else that is the work of God, except that we believe in him whom he has sent.
To believe in Christ is to love Christ.
And because some time ago we distinguished that it is one thing to believe him, to believe him and to believe in him - to believe him is to believe that what he speaks is true, to believe him is to believe that he himself is Christ, to believe in him is to love him - now consider your own: to believe that what he speaks is true, to believe that he himself is Christ, to love Christ. To believe that what he speaks is true, many wicked people can do. For they believe these things to be true and do not want to do them: they are lazy in performing. However, to believe that he himself is Christ, this even demons could do. Therefore Peter said: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, with love; the demons said this with fear. But not everyone who fears loves, everyone who loves fears. But perhaps - rather not perhaps, but certainly -, everyone who loves fears, but with chaste fear - for the fear of the Lord is chaste, enduring forever -, not with servile fear. For perfect love casts out fear. It is one thing to fear that he may come, another thing to fear that he may depart. For to fear that he may come was in those who said: We know who you are. Have you come to destroy us before the time? However, the fear that he may depart was in him who said: I will be with you until death. When therefore you hear: "Believe in Christ", it is little for you to believe Christ, that is, to believe that what Christ speaks is true, it is little for you to believe Christ, that is, that he himself is the one whom God proclaimed through the prophets, but believe in Christ, that is, love Christ. When you have filled this, nothing more will be required of you, since the fullness of the law is love. When you believe in Christ in such a way that you love Christ with that ardor, see if these words will not be yours: Who shall separate us from the love of God? Therefore, do not long seek to do what Christ commands: you cannot fail to do it, if you love Christ. Love, and you accomplish. To the extent that you love, to that extent you accomplish; to the extent that you accomplish less, you love less. Fulfill love, and you perfect action. See how true is the saying: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent, that is, that by loving you go to him, that is, you become incorporated to him.
Let us love Christ, God made man for us.
For someone might respond to me and advise me to speak more cautiously: "You said that to believe in Christ is to love Christ, and you said we ought to believe in Christ, but not to believe in Paul; are we therefore not supposed to love Paul?" Thus, just as we distinguished between believing and believing, so must we distinguish the very act of loving. I love Paul, and I do not believe in Paul. I do not love Christ unless I believe in Christ. For I love Paul, but not by loving Paul do I go into Paul: I will be with Paul, I will not be in Paul. For what is Apollo, what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, not in whom you believed. Therefore, brothers, to believe in God is necessary, by believing and loving to go into Christ. "Believe in God," says Christ himself, "and believe in me." Which prophet dared to say this, which patriarch, which apostle, which martyr, which angel? Therefore let us believe in him, let us love him, but by loving be incorporated into him. Let us understand our God and the man made for us, and from that because God became man to justify us. For if he were only a man, he would need to be justified with us, he would not be the justifier. But now, because he is our God and became a man because of nature that he was not, he remained what he was by possession, so that in him we might at the same time have the way to go and the destination. Let us believe in him, that is, let us love him as God, so that by loving we may go into him, from whom by neglecting we had departed.
"As much as illnesses are healed, so much does the heavenly food delight."
But if it is present in us, the bread delights us: there is no longer disgust; we do not praise it and abhor it, but eat it silently, praised, because we love it, contrary to disgust, because the illness has been healed. For what will our soul give back to Him who says: What shall I render to the Lord?, who says: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities? This was done when we were washed. But what follows is: Who heals all your diseases. As much as the diseases heal, so much the heavenly food delights; so much the bread of life that came down from heaven delights, as much as our diseases heal. But by whom are they healed, except by Him to whom we have said: Turn us, O God of our salvation? Turn us: You turn us, because before You heal us, we resist and do not want to touch the praised bread with disgust. We resist while sick, we are turned when healed. Therefore, turn us, O God of our salvation, and turn away your wrath from us. For sickness itself is the wrath of God. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Why? Because he has accomplished the work of God. This is indeed the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. But whoever does not believe in the Son will not have life, but the wrath of God remains on him. It does not come upon him, but remains on him. He is abandoned, not healed. Therefore, mindful is he who said: Turn us, O God, because we cannot be turned except as much as we are healed, added: our salvations. For this bread does not delight the unhealthy. Thus, he almost introduced a reason why we should be turned. What does it mean: Turn us? Heal us. Indeed, because we are not healthy, we turn less to the bread of salvation. We praise it, but do not delight in it. Who does not approve, who does not say: "It is true," when I say: What you do not want to be done to you, do not do to another? "It is true": you cry out, and nothing more true do you cry out. Eat what you praise. You want to deceive a man, yet you do not want to be deceived by anyone. You want to gain from another's misfortune, yet you do not want anyone to gain from yours. Do you not set a law against yourself, and is your heart not prescribed by which you are punished? Why do you not want it to be done to you, if it is good? Why do you do it, if it is bad? What will you answer, what will you say? "It delights me to do it and it delights me to do it," "this delights and that delights": these are the words of the sick. Cry out: Turn us, O God of our salvations, and turn away your wrath from us.
God crowns us with the shield of His good will.
For it is also said in the same psalm: "The Lord will give sweetness, and our land will yield its fruit." But the fruit of the Spirit is charity. Whence comes this fruit unless the Lord gives the sweetness by which the love of God is poured into our hearts? Not from ourselves, but through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. You see that the Lord will give sweetness, so that our land may yield its fruit. You see that our land, that is, our heart, our soul, our land does not yield its fruit unless God rains. The earth was moved. It was moved to give birth and to bear. But why was it moved? For the heavens dripped, not from themselves, but from the face of God. For what is Apollo, what is Paul? Ministers of God through whom you believed. They are clouds of God: unless they are filled, they do not pour out. Therefore the earth was moved—God converting our sicknesses—the earth was moved, for the heavens dripped from the face of God. It was moved by God, for it would not have been moved, unless by the voluntary rain that follows. After it is said: "The earth was moved, for the heavens dripped from the face of God," lest you think that the rain of the heavens is not from God, it says, "voluntary rain," not owed—for what did He owe us, if not punishment? Therefore, voluntary rain—because, he says, with the shield of Your goodwill, You crowned us—not with the brightness of our merits, but with the shield of Your goodwill—therefore, God appointing voluntary rain to His inheritance, and it was weakened. Even that which gives birth is weakened. For the earth was moved to give birth, and it would not have given birth unless preceded by weakness. But You have perfected it.
All good things are to be hoped for from God.
What does it mean to be weakened? It did not presume upon itself. What does it mean to be weakened? It hoped entirely on you. What does it mean to be weakened? When I am weak, then I am strong. Therefore it was weakened because it understood that it was by the grace of God, not by its own merits, not by its own strength; it understood, it was weakened, and it lost presumption in order to receive a blessing. It was weakened. Therefore, let it not presume upon itself, let it cry to the Lord in its weakness: "Turn us back, O God of our salvation." Therefore it follows: "And it was weakened, but you have perfected it." Why have you perfected it? Because it was weakened, because it understood that it could not perfect itself by itself. Therefore, because it was weakened, you have perfected it. The very earth cries out in Paul: "On this account, I asked the Lord that he might remove from me the sting, namely the corrective prick of my flesh." For why did he say it was added to him except to curb his own presumption and strength? Because, he says, "By reason of the vastness of the revelations, lest I be exalted, a messenger of Satan was given to me to buffet me." Therefore to be weakened. The voluntary rain is reserved for you, not owed. Cry out from weakness, because I am not worthy to be called an apostle. Therefore to be weakened to make you perfect. For he said to you in prayer: "My grace is sufficient for you; power is made perfect in weakness."
We do not have righteousness from ourselves.
Thus the same apostle, in the reading we have heard, concluded in this way: So that I may be found in Him. How in Him? Not having my own righteousness. For if it is yours, not in Him. What is not having my own? As if acquired from myself, because fulfilled by my own powers. Not having my righteousness
The fear of damnation, the love of justice.
What is it then so that I am found in him not having my own righteousness, and he added: which is from the law? I will say, if I can briefly; the giver of grace will perfect it in your hearts. What is it, unless because the Jews have even the law itself in such a way that they perform the works of the law out of fear of condemnation, not out of the fire of love? Therefore, what they did out of servile fear, they were slaves. But if you begin to do out of love what is written in the law: You shall not covet, where does this come from for you, unless the love of God is poured out in your heart, not from yourself, but through the Holy Spirit who has been given to you? Since God, separating a voluntary rain for his inheritance, and it was weakened, would hope for nothing from itself. For it was said to it: "Do," and it did; "Do not kill," and it did not kill; "Do not commit adultery with another's wife," and it did not commit adultery. It was said: "Do," and it did. It was said: "Love what you do," and it was weakened. You do not kill your enemy out of fear: if impunity were given, would you spare? Would you do what David did, to whom the Lord gave his enemy into his hands in such a way that he could do what he wanted with him? He chose to spare, he chose to spare, to whom it was allowed to kill with impunity. Therefore if impunity were granted to you for killing your enemy, would you spare? How would you spare him from dying, about whom you say: "Oh, if he would die"? Therefore the law imposed upon the servant fearing forbade the evil act, but did not eradicate the evil desire. You restrain yourself from the deed, but you have the desire to do it. Why do you have the desire to do it? Because you do not have the love of righteousness. Therefore what more is prohibited to you, is not. Love. What do I do, to love? Therefore out of love, because if you act out of fear, you do not love. Your righteousness will be your own, even if from the law, because you do not do what the law prohibits, yet it is your own: for you do it out of fear, not out of love. When will your righteousness not be your own? If it is from faith in Christ. For by believing in him you have obtained what he commands.
Faith asks that what is commanded be done.
Scripture of the present psalm attends to this. Does not God say: Turn to me? The Scriptures are full. Turn to me, turn to me. For the languor has begun to move. For what is meant by: Turn to me? It is not, - what is done easily -, that you were facing the west, now face the east. If only you do this inwardly, because this is not easy! You turn your body from one pivot to another, turn your heart from love to love. Turn to me: God shouts. The earth feared, lest it be condemned for not turning; it moved, so that it might be converted: languor did not follow, bread did not please the sick. Turn to me. The languor saw that it could not do what was ordered, and cried out through the prophet: Turn us, O God; faith entered the heart; it asked that what was commanded be done, it said: Turn us, O God. Because it was weakened, truly you perfected it, that I might be found in Him not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but the righteousness of Christ which is from faith. What is from faith? That which is obtained by asking, so much as could not be under the one commanding. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the righteousness of faith which we preach; this is the living bread that came down from heaven, healing so that it may be eaten, strengthening because it is eaten, nourishing because it is desired, since it is said of Him to our soul, because He satisfies your desire with good things. Etc.