Sermon 136C
SERMON 136/C I. Unusquisque bonus Christianus non veritas suffocat, qua supra dicti dictum levat errorem, quam tuam expositam audivit, dictumque es."
FROM ABOVE. OF AURELIUS AUGUSTINE
The works which Christ now performs in hearts.
The works of our Lord Jesus Christ that He did then in bodies, He now does in hearts, although in many bodies He by no means ceases to do so, but what He does in hearts is greater. For if it is great to see the light of the sky, how much greater is it to see the light of God! For this purpose, the eyes of the heart are healed, for this purpose they are opened, for this purpose they are cleansed, so that they may see the light, which is God. For God is light, says the Scripture, and there is no darkness in Him, and the Lord in the Gospel: Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Therefore, we who marvel at this blind man and see, let us push onward, as much as we can, with the healing and cleansing of our hearts, God granting it. Let our conduct be good, and our hearts will be cleansed. For what does it profit to be cleansed from sins in the holy font and immediately to be defiled by the worst habits?
Concerning the order of the work of the Lord in which the blind man was enlightened.
The very order of this work of the Lord by which the blind man was illuminated prompts us to behold something great and necessary. For the Lord Jesus Christ could have— and who is there to say He couldn't?—touched his eyes without spittle and clay, and instantly restored or rather bestowed sight upon him. He could have done this. Why do I say: if He had touched him with His hand? What could He not accomplish by a mere command? What can the Word not accomplish by a command? For it is not just any word, but the Word that was in the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This Word in the beginning, God with God, was made flesh to dwell among us. The Word therefore walked clothed in flesh. And the flesh was visible, the Word was hidden. But this Word, to come in the flesh, many prophets before, as His heralds, foretold in His Spirit and in truth. Many came before saying: Behold, He will come, and He will come such that in Him the remission of sins will be. Behold, He will come in many ways, in many figures, in many types of sacrifices, in many veils of mysteries. All they were proclaiming was: Behold, He will come. After He came, immediately the friend of the bridegroom from the water: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sin of the world; He who was promised to come, of whom Moses wrote, whose Law and Prophets bear witness. For whom the temple was sanctified and built, whose blood was prefigured in the sacrifices of the priests. Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Therefore the Lord also preserved the order in healing this man born blind, in which the blind human race was symbolized, thus illuminating this man. He spat on the ground and made clay, and anointed his eyes with the spittle. The earth signifies the Prophets. For indeed this was established as earth, for what are the Prophets but earth? Men, namely made from earth, received the Spirit of the Lord and anointed the people of God. They held prophecy, but did not yet see.
In Christ, all prophecy is fulfilled.
But see to where he was sent, to wash his face: to the pool of Siloam. What is Siloam? Appropriately, the Evangelist did not remain silent: which is interpreted as sent. Who is sent if not the one who continually says: The Father who sent me? Who is sent if not the one of whom it is said: Behold the Lamb of God? In him the face is washed, and the anointed one sees, because in the Lord Christ every prophecy is fulfilled. He who does not recognize Christ walks anointed. And if perchance he reads the Prophet, he is a Jew. Why do you read the Prophet? Go to Siloam to see him and recognize whose saliva you carry in your eyes. Moreover, this order which preceded in the eyes of this man was also observed in his heart. Observe how the Jews questioned him. You, what do you say about this man? He said: I say that he is a prophet. He had not yet washed the face of his heart in Siloam. Indeed, his eyes were already open, but his heart was anointed, when he had washed his face. He responded as he could, as one anointed but not yet seeing. He defended the anointing, that is, of his heart, but the eyes of his body were already open.
And God hears sinners.
He also said something as if anointed yet not seeing: We know that God does not listen to sinners. If this were true, the Publican would have struck his breast in vain, but since he was anointed yet not seeing, let us excuse him. For God does indeed listen to sinners. They are the orphans, the humble, the poor. Judge, he says, the orphan and the needy, justify the humble and the poor. He was humble and poor who did not dare to lift his eyes to heaven. He struck his breast, saying: Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. And he went down justified who said: Be merciful to me, a sinner. Does God certainly not listen to sinners? What is an orphan, if not still a little one in faith? For "orphan" is a diminutive word: pupus, pupulus, pupillus. For when he grows and begins to reach puberty, he is no longer an orphan but is now called an adult. When he reaches the age of twenty-five, he is now termed legitimate. What shall we say, brothers? If we consider the greatness of the holy angels, are we not orphans placed on earth? But someone says: How are we orphans, who even if little ones still cry out: Our Father who art in heaven? This is because we are spiritually orphans, not carnally. Carnally, an orphan is one whose father is dead; spiritually, an orphan, whose Father is hidden. We will no longer be orphans when we see our Father.
He has faith who sees with the heart.
Therefore, he now with open eyes, though still anointed in heart, when he washed his face, we find. The angry Jews, conquered and convicted, and the blind raging at the one who sees, cast him out. When he was cast out, then he entered into where the Jews who were placed in the house of God could not cast him out. Therefore, being cast out, he found the Lord in the temple and said to Him—of course, recognizing Him by whom he had been enlightened physically, it remained that he be enlightened in heart. Now he washes the face of his heart, now he comes to Siloam, because now he understands the Only-Begotten sent. “Do you believe,” He said, “in the Son of God?” And he replied, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe in Him?” as if still anointed and not yet seeing. And the Lord said, “You have both seen Him and it is He who speaks with you.” To give these words is to wash the face. Finally, with his face now washed, seeing in heart, he said, “I believe, Lord,” and he worshipped Him prostrate. Turned to the Lord...