Sermon 160

SERMO 160

Of the words of the Apostle (1 Cor 1:31):
"Let him who glories, glory in the Lord."
AND FROM THE VERSE OF THE PSALM (70, 2):
"In your righteousness deliver me, and rescue me."

Let man glory in the Lord, not in his own righteousness.

We are advised by the Apostle, as follows: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord"; and to Him we have sung: "In Your righteousness rescue me, and deliver me." Therefore, to boast in the Lord means to boast not in one's own righteousness, but in His righteousness. This righteousness, however, was hidden from those who boast of their own righteousness. And this fault especially appeared in the Jews who rejected the New Testament and remained in the Old. They read and sang in vain and fruitlessly in their scriptures: "In Your righteousness rescue me." For, being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. Therefore, let no one boast as if in his own righteousness, even if he is just. For to one boasting in his own righteousness it was said: "For what do you have that you did not receive?" So, let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. For what is safer than to boast in Him, of whom no one can be utterly confounded? For if you have boasted in a man, there can be found something in that man, indeed many things can be found in man, for which he who boasts in him may be confounded. But when you hear that one should not boast in man, surely not in yourself: for you are a human as well. Therefore, if you boast in yourself, you boast in a man; and this is more foolish and detestable. Because if you have boasted in some just or wise man, he does not boast in himself in whom you boast; but if you boast in yourself, you are neither wise nor just; and if it is not right to boast in a wise man, much less is it right to boast in an unwise man. But he who boasts in himself, boasts in an unwise man. For by this very fact he is convicted as unwise, that he boasts in himself. Therefore: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." Nothing is safer, nothing is more secure. If you are capable, you have what you grasp, you will not be confounded boasting in the Lord. For nothing blameworthy can be found in Him, in whom you boast. Thus it was not said by him: "Rescue me in my righteousness"; but: "Rescue me in Your righteousness"; this was first said: "In You, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded."

The Jews blinded by the opinion of their own righteousness.

Is it not indeed for this reason, for which the Jews have erred, or by which other vice they have been excluded from evangelical grace, except that one which the Apostle did not keep silent about, which I mentioned a little earlier? He says, "I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." Where he praised, he also reproved. Wherefore are they at fault? Because, indeed, although they have a zeal for God, it is not according to knowledge. And as if we were consulting the Apostle, and we were to say, "What is it that you have said: not according to knowledge? What is this knowledge that they do not have, who nonetheless have a zeal for God?" Do you want to hear what knowledge they lack? Attend to what follows: "For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness of God." Therefore, if you have a zeal for God and want to have it according to knowledge, and to belong to the New Testament, to which the Jews could not belong because they had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, acknowledge God's righteousness and do not seek to establish your own—this very thing, if you have it; if you live well, if you follow God's precepts, do not consider it your own. For this is indeed to seek to establish one's own righteousness. Acknowledge from whom you have received, and you have what you have received. For you do not have what you did not receive. But if you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? For when you boast as if you did not receive it, you glory in yourself. And where is: "Let him who glories, glory in the Lord"? Hold fast to what is given, but acknowledge the giver. When the Lord promised that he would give his Spirit, he said: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." From where is this river in you? Remember your former dryness. For if you had not been dry, you would not have thirsted; if you had not thirsted, you would not have drunk. What does it mean: "If you had not thirsted, you would not have drunk"? If you had not found yourself empty, you would not have believed in Christ. Before he said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water," he first said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come and drink." Therefore, you will have a river of living water because you drink; you drink because you thirst; but if you thirsted, why did you wish to glory as if from your own river? Therefore, "Let him who glories, glory in the Lord."

To know Christ crucified is great wisdom. Pride prevents man from faith in Christ.

And I, he said, brothers, coming to you, did not come with lofty words or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God. He also says: Did I say that I knew anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified? And if he knew this alone, there is nothing he did not know. It is great to know Christ crucified; but before the eyes of little ones, he placed the treasure as if wrapped. Christ, he said, crucified. How great is this treasure inside! Then elsewhere, fearing for some, lest they be seduced from Christ through philosophy and vain deceit, he promised the treasure of the knowledge and wisdom of God in Christ. Beware, he said, lest anyone seduce you through philosophy and vain seduction, according to the elements of the world, not according to Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Christ crucified, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. Therefore, do not be deceived, he said, by the name of wisdom. Call upon this wrapping, pray that it be revealed to you. Foolish philosopher of this world, what you seek is nothing; whom you do not seek. What does it profit, because you thirst much, and you tread over the fountain? You despise humility because you do not understand majesty. For if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. Jesus Christ, he said, crucified. I did not say I knew anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified; His humility, which the proud mock, that it may be in them: You rebuked the proud; cursed are those who turn aside from Your commandments. And what is His commandment, except that we believe in Him, and love one another? In whom should we believe? In Christ crucified. What pride does not want to hear, let wisdom hear. His commandment is that we believe in Him. In whom? In Christ crucified. This is His commandment, that we believe in Christ crucified. This entirely; but this proud one, with raised neck, swelling throat, elevated tongue, puffed cheeks, mocks Christ crucified. Cursed, therefore, are those who turn aside from Your commandments. Why do they mock, except because they see a vile outer garment wrapped around, but do not see the hidden treasure inside? They see the flesh, they see a man, they see the cross, they see death; they despise these things. Wait, do not pass by, do not scorn, do not deride. Wait, search; perhaps there is something inside that delights you greatly. If you find what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man. The eye sees flesh; there is something within the flesh that the eye does not see. Your ear hears a voice; there is something there that the ear has not heard. It ascends into your heart, as if from earthly thoughts, a crucified and dead man; there is something there that has not entered into the heart of man. For it is usual thoughts that ascend into our hearts: It ascended, he said, into the heart of Moses to visit his brothers; this is the condition of man. And when the disciples doubted about the Lord Himself, and said among themselves, when they suddenly saw Him risen: He is, He is not; flesh is, spirit is; He says this to them: Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Humility of the cross is the way to loftiness.

Let us then seek, if we can, not what can ascend into our heart, but to where our heart may merit to ascend. For he will be worthy to be glorified in reigning who has learned to glory in the Crucified. Hence the Apostle himself, seeing not only where to ascend, but also how to ascend; for many saw where but did not see how; they loved the height of the homeland but did not know the way of humility; knowing therefore the Apostle, and thinking and premeditating not only where but also how, he says: "Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He could have said: "In the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ," and he would have said truly; he could have: "In the majesty," and he would have said truly; he could have: "In the power," and he would have said truly; but he said: "In the cross." Where the philosopher of the world felt ashamed, there the Apostle found a treasure; by not despising the lowly wrapping, he reached the precious content. "Far be it from me," he says, "to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." You have picked up a good burden, there is everything you sought; and you have shown what great thing lay hidden there. What assistance? "Through whom," he says, "the world is crucified to me and I to the world." When would the world be crucified to you if not through Him through whom the world was made, who was crucified for you? Therefore: "Let him who glories, glory in the Lord." Which Lord? Christ crucified. Where there is humility, there is majesty; where there is weakness, there is power; where there is death, there is life. If you wish to reach those things, do not despise these things.

The sons of Zebedee, desiring greatness, are called to the way of humility.

You heard in the Gospel about the sons of Zebedee. They were seeking greatness, saying that one of them should sit at the right hand of such a master of the house, the other at his left. Truly, they were seeking great heights, great; but since they neglected the way, Christ calls them from where they wished to go, to that which they ought to go. For those who sought such great heights, what did He answer? Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? What cup, if not the cup of humility, if not of suffering? Which, about to be drunk and transforming our weakness into Himself, He says to the Father: Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Transforming into Himself those who refused to drink such a cup and sought greatness, neglecting the path of humility, He said: Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? You seek Christ on high; return to the crucified. You wish to reign and glory on the seats of Christ; first learn to say: May it never be for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is Christian teaching, the precept of humility, the commendation of humility, that we do not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it is not great in the wisdom of Christ to boast; it is great to boast in the cross of Christ; from where the impious insults you, from there may the pious boast; from where the proud insults, from there may the Christian boast. Do not be ashamed of the cross of Christ; therefore, you have received the very sign on your forehead as a seat of modesty. Reflect on your forehead, lest you fear the strange tongue.

Circumcision of the Old Testament, the cross of the New Testament as a sign.

The sign of the Old Testament is circumcision in hidden flesh, the sign of the New Testament is the cross on the free forehead. For there is concealment here, revelation there; that is under a veil, this in the open. For as long as Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts. Why? Because they have not passed over to Christ. For when you pass over to Christ, the veil will be removed; so that you who had circumcision in secret may bear the cross on your forehead: "But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory," says the Apostle, "just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Do not attribute this to yourself, do not think it your own, lest, being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish your own, you do not submit to the righteousness of God. Pass over, therefore, to Christ, O you who glory in circumcision. For you wish to have glory from that which you are ashamed to show. It is a sign, it is true, it is commanded by God; but it is a sign of concealment. For the New Testament was veiled in the Old; the Old Testament is revealed in the New. Therefore, let the sign pass from hidden to manifest, and let that which lay hidden under the garment begin to be on the forehead. For who can doubt that Christ was foretold by that sign? Hence the stone blade: "And that rock was Christ." Hence the eighth day of circumcision, and the eighth day of resurrection. Therefore the Apostle, passing over from one to the other, coming from one to the other, passing over to Christ, so that the veil may be removed, knows where to glory. "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." For what did he say previously? "For neither do those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh." What about you, Apostle? Transfer the sign to the forehead. "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Here I have, he says, that which I was ignorant of. The New Testament has come, that which was concealed has been revealed. "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light." That which was hidden has been revealed to them; what was concealed, is now in the open. The very Rock has come, has circumcised us all in spirit, and has fixed the sign of His humility on the forehead of the redeemed.

Let glory be in the cross of Christ, not in our righteousness.

Now let the boasting be in the cross of Christ; let us not be ashamed of the humility of the Most High. How long shall there be a distinction of foods and the circumcision of the flesh? Their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. What was foretold to them, let it now be believed as accomplished. Let us not be ungrateful to him who came, if we awaited his coming. But why are the Jews deprived of, alienated from, and fugitives from this grace? Because they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. What knowledge? Ignorant, he says, of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own; not holding God in precepts, and thinking to fulfill the precepts by their own strength, they avoided help. For Christ is the end of the law, the perfection of the law, for righteousness to everyone who believes. And what does Christ do? He justifies the ungodly. Indeed, believing in Him who justifies the ungodly, not the pious, but the ungodly; making pious whom He found ungodly: therefore, faith is credited to him as righteousness, who believes in Him who justifies the ungodly. For if Abraham was justified by works, as if he did it himself, as if he provided it for himself; he has glory, but not before God. But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord; and let him confidently say: "Deliver me in Your righteousness, and rescue me." For He delivers and rescues those who hope in Him; not attributing what they received to their own strength. And this is indeed wisdom, to know whose gift it is. Who said this? He who asked God to give him continence. What righteousness, what part of righteousness can be fulfilled without some continence? For it is pleasant to sin; for if it were not pleasant, it would not be done. But righteousness is less pleasant, or it does not please, or it pleases less than it ought. Whence is this, except from the sicknesses of the soul? Bread is loathed, and poison is delightful. How shall this sickness be healed, I implore you? Shall it be from ourselves and by ourselves? Since we were all capable of wounding ourselves, who among us is capable of curing what he has done? So also in the sins themselves, who does not wound himself when he wills? But not everyone heals himself when he wills. Therefore, let the soul be pious, let it be faithfully Christian, let it not be ungrateful for grace. Let the physician be acknowledged: a sick person never heals himself.