Sermon 174

SERMO 174

CONCIO 123: DE VERBIS APOSTOLI (1 TIM 1, 15) "Fidelis sermo, et omni acceptione dignus, quia Christus Jesus venit in hunc mundum, peccatores salvos facere, quorum primus ego sum."
"Human speech and worthy of all acceptance,"
Because Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," etc.
ON THE READING OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (19, 1-10), ABOUT ZACCHAEUS.
Against the Pelagians.
Held in the Basilica of Celerina, on the Lord's Day

The coming of Christ into the world must be understood in regard to the flesh. The necessity of the Incarnation.

We have heard the blessed apostle Paul saying: "A human word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first." Therefore, a human word and worthy of all acceptance. Why human, and not divine? Without a doubt, unless this human word were also divine, it would not be worthy of all acceptance. But this word is human and divine, in the same way that Christ himself is both man and God. Therefore, if we rightly understand this word, it is not only human but also divine; why did the Apostle prefer to say human rather than divine? Without a doubt, he who would not lie if he said divine, did not without reason prefer to say human. Thus, he chose what Christ took upon himself to come into the world. For he came in what he was as man. For in what he was as God, he was always here. For where is God not, who said: "I fill heaven and earth?" Christ is certainly the power and wisdom of God; of whom it is said: "He reaches from end to end mightily, and arranges all things sweetly." Therefore: "He was in this world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him." And he was here, and he came; he was here through divine majesty, he came through human infirmity. Therefore, because he came through human infirmity, the proclamation of his coming was said: "A human word." The human race would not be saved, unless the word of God deigned to be human. For that man is also called humane, who shows himself to be a man, and especially who receives a man as a guest. Therefore, if he is called humane who receives a man into his own house, how humane is he who received a man into himself?

The cause of the Incarnation is sin. The weakness of free will is seen in Adam. The gift of grace is seen in Christ.

Therefore: This is a trustworthy saying and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Pay attention to the Gospel. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. If man had not perished, the Son of Man would not have come. Therefore, man had perished, God became man, and man was found. Man perished through free will: God became man through liberating grace. Do you ask what free will avails for evil? Recall man sinning. Do you ask what God and man avail for help? Observe in him the liberating grace. Nowhere could it thus be shown how much human will, usurped by pride, avails to avoid evil without God's assistance; it could not be expressed more clearly than in the first man. And behold, the first man perished, and where would he be if the second man had not come? Because that man, therefore this man, and hence the human saying. Indeed nowhere does the kindness of grace and the liberality of God's omnipotence appear so much as in the man, the mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus. What then do we say, my brothers? I speak to those nurtured in the Catholic faith, or gained into the Catholic peace. We know and hold the mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, inasmuch as he was man, being of the same nature as we are. For our flesh and his flesh are not of a different nature, nor our soul and his soul. He assumed this nature, which he judged to be saved. He lacked nothing in nature, but had nothing in guilt. A pure nature, but not only human. There was God, there was the Word of God. And as you are one man, a soul and flesh; so also he is one Christ, God and man. Therefore, will anyone dare to say that our nature in that Mediator first deserved God through free will, and thus merited to be assumed, so that one Christ Jesus would be both man and God? Behold, can we say that through our virtues, morals, and way of life we have merited to become children of God: can we say: We received the commandment, if we keep it and live well, we will be received into the number of the children of God. Did he first live as the son of man, and by living well became the Son of God? Hence he began, and hence he commenced, and was made by assumption. For the Word was made flesh, to dwell among us. The Word of God, the only-begotten Son of God assumed the soul and flesh of man, not previously deserving it, nor striving by its own virtue to attain to such sublimity, but entirely by grace. Nothing preceded that assumption: by being assumed he was made. The Virgin conceived: before the Virgin's conception a man, the mediator? Certainly not just before. How could he be just, who was not yet? The Virgin conceived, and with the assumption of man he began. Deservedly it was said: We saw his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. You love your free will, you will say to your father: Give me my portion of the inheritance that falls to me. Why do you entrust yourself to yourself? He who created you before you existed can better preserve you. Therefore acknowledge Christ, he is full of grace. He wishes to pour out to you what he is full of; he says to you: Seek my gifts, forget your merits; because if I sought your merits, you would not come to my gifts. Do not exalt yourself, be humble, be Zacchaeus.

The deed of Zacchaeus allegorically. Sycamore tree, the cross of Christ. The cross on the forehead.

But you will say: If I were Zacchaeus, I would not be able to see Jesus because of the crowd. Do not be sad, climb the tree where Jesus hung for you, and you will see Jesus. And what kind of tree did Zacchaeus climb? A sycamore. In our regions, it either does not grow at all or rarely, perhaps in some places; but in those parts, there is much of that kind of tree and fruit. Sycamore fruits are called something similar to figs; but still, they differ somewhat; which those who have seen or tasted them can know. However, as the name indicates, sycamore is translated into Latin as "foolish fig." Now look at my Zacchaeus, see him, I beg you, wanting to see Jesus in the crowd and not able. For he was humble, the crowd was haughty; and the crowd itself, as often happens, hindered the view of the Lord; he ascended from the crowd, and saw Jesus with the crowd not hindering him. For the crowd says to the humble, walking the path of humility, leaving their injuries to God, not seeking revenge on their enemies, the crowd insults, and says: Defenseless one, who cannot avenge yourself. The crowd hinders that Jesus may not be seen: the crowd rejoices and exults when it can avenge itself, hindering the view of Him who hanging said: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. So Zacchaeus, wanting to see this one, in whom the person of the humble was prefigured, did not heed the impeding crowd; but climbed the sycamore, as if the tree of a foolish fruit. For, says the Apostle, we preach Christ crucified, indeed a stumbling block to Jews: behold the sycamore; but foolishness to Gentiles. Hence, the wise of this world insult us because of the cross of Christ, and say: What kind of heart do you have, who worship a crucified God? What kind of heart do we have? Certainly not like yours. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Our heart is not like yours. But you call our heart foolish. Say what you will: we will climb the sycamore, and we will see Jesus. For this reason, you cannot see Jesus, because you are ashamed to climb the sycamore. Let Zacchaeus grasp the sycamore, let the humble ascend the cross. It is not enough if he ascends; let him not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, let him fix it on his forehead, where the seat of shame is: there indeed, there in the part of the body where one feels shame, let there be fixed what should not be ashamed. I think you mock the sycamore: yet it made me see Jesus. But you mock the sycamore, because you are human: but the foolishness of God is wiser than men.

The necessity of prevenient grace.

And the Lord saw Zacchaeus himself. He was seen, and he saw; but unless he had been seen, he would not see. For those whom He predestined, He also called. He is the one who said to Nathanael, already helping the Gospel with his testimony, and saying: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? The Lord said to him: Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. You know from where the first sinners, Adam and Eve, made themselves loincloths. When they sinned, they made themselves loincloths from fig leaves and covered their shameful parts: because they did what made them ashamed by sinning. Therefore, if the first sinners made themselves loincloths from the fig leaves from which we originate, in which we were lost, so that He would come to seek and save what was lost, what else is meant by: When you were under the fig tree, I saw you; except, you would not come to the cleanser of sin, unless He had first seen you in the shadow of sin? That we might see, we were seen; that we might love, we were loved. My God, His mercy will go before me.

To receive Jesus into the heart.

Now, therefore, the Lord, who had received Zacchaeus in his heart, deigned to be received into his house, and said: "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." He considered it a great benefit to see Christ. He, who thought it a great and ineffable benefit to see Him passing by, suddenly deserved to have Him in his house. Grace is poured out, faith works through love; Christ is received into the house, who already dwelled in the heart. Zacchaeus says to Christ: "Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." As if he were saying: "Therefore I keep half for myself, not that I may have it, but that I might restore it." Truly, behold what it means to receive Jesus, to receive Him in the heart. For Christ was there, in Zacchaeus, and from him He said to himself what he heard from his mouth. For the Apostle says: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

Those who seem healthy to themselves are mad against the doctor. The blood of the doctor is the medicine for his slayer.

Now therefore, because Zacchaeus was, because he was a chief tax collector, because he was very much a sinner; as if that healthy crowd, which was hindering seeing Jesus, was amazed, and reproached that Jesus had entered into the house of a sinner. This was to reproach the doctor for entering the house of the sick person. Therefore, because Zacchaeus was mocked as a sinner, he was mocked by the insane; the Lord, having healed him, responded to those mocking: Today salvation has come to this house. Behold why I entered, salvation has been made today. Surely, if the Savior had not entered, salvation would not have been made in that house. Why then do you marvel, O sick one? You also call Jesus, do not seem healthy to yourself. He who accepts the doctor is sick with hope; he who despairs is sick and strikes the doctor in madness. What sort of madness then is his, who kills the doctor? But how great is the goodness and power of the doctor, who made a remedy from his own blood for his insane killer? For indeed, he who came to seek and to save that which was lost, hanging, was not saying without cause: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. They are insane, I am a doctor: let them rage, I endure patiently; when they have killed, then I will heal. Let us therefore be among those whom He heals. The human saying and worthy of all acceptance, because Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: great and small, to save sinners. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Original sin is proven. Christ is also Jesus to infants. Baptism and communion of the little ones.

Who says that the infant age does not have what Jesus saves, denies Christ as Jesus to all faithful infants. Who says, I say, that the infant age does not have what Jesus saves in it, says nothing other than that Christ the Lord is not Jesus to faithful infants, that is, to baptized infants in Christ. For what is Jesus? Jesus is interpreted as Savior. Jesus is the Savior. To those whom he does not save, not having what to save in them, he is not Jesus to them. Now, if your hearts can tolerate that Christ is not Jesus to some baptized people, I do not know whether your faith can be recognized in a sound rule. They are infants but they become his members. They are infants but they receive his sacraments. They are infants but they become participants of his table, so that they have life in them. Why do you say to me: He is healthy, he has no defect? Why do you run to the doctor with him if he has no defect? Do you not fear lest he says to you: Take away hence him whom you think is healthy? The Son of Man did not come except to seek and to save what was lost. Why do you bring him to me if he was not lost?

The reason why Christ came. The meaning of the name Jesus. Little ones need a Savior. The faith of those answering for them in baptism should be right.

Human speech and worthy of all acceptance, because Christ Jesus came into the world. Why did he come into the world? To save sinners. There was no other reason why he came into the world. It was not our good merits that led him from heaven to earth, but our sins. This is the reason why he came: to save sinners. And you will call, he says, his name Jesus. Why will you call his name Jesus? For he will save his people from their sins. You will call his name Jesus. Why Jesus? What is the reason for this name? Hear why: For he will save his people. From what? From their sins. His people from their sins. Do not little ones belong to this people, whom Jesus will save from their sins? They surely do, they do indeed, my brothers. Hold this in your heart, believe so, and with this faith bring the little ones to the grace of Christ; lest, if you do not have this faith in your heart, you kill those for whom you answer with your tongue. Truly, brothers, whoever does not run with this faith with the little one, pretends. He is healthy, he has nothing bad, he has no fault; but I will take him to the doctor. Why? Because this is the custom. Are you not afraid the doctor might say to you: Take him away with you; a doctor is not needed for the healthy, but for those who are ill.

All little ones should be considered like orphans. Rebirth is necessary for little ones. Objection against original sin. Ancient rule of faith, to baptize little ones.

"I would commend to your charity the cause of those who cannot speak for themselves. All little ones should be considered as orphans, even those who have not yet lost their own parents. The whole number of the predestined little ones seeks a guardian from the people of God, who awaits the Lord the Savior. The entire mass of mankind was struck in the first man by that venomous one; no one passes from the first to the second except through the sacrament of Baptism. In newborn infants who are not yet baptized, let Adam be recognized: in newborn infants who are baptized and thus reborn, let Christ be recognized. Whoever does not recognize Adam in newborns cannot recognize Christ in the reborn. But why, they say, does a faithful man baptized and already forgiven of sin, generate one who is with the sin of the first man? Because he generates him by flesh, not by spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh. And if our outward man, says the Apostle, is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. From that which is renewed in you, you do not generate a little one; from that which is corrupted in you, you generate a little one. You have been born and reborn so as not to die eternally; he has been born but not yet reborn. If you live by being reborn, allow him also to be reborn and live; allow him, I say, to be reborn, allow him to be reborn. Why do you contradict? Why do you attempt to break the ancient rule of faith with new arguments? What is it that you say: Little ones have no original sin at all? What is it that you say, except that you do not want them to come to Jesus? But to you, Jesus cries out: Allow the little ones to come to me. Turned towards the Lord, etc."