Sermon 49
SERMO 49
The habit at the table of Saint Cyprian on Sunday.
ON THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET MICAH:
"What worthy thing shall I offer to the Lord?"
How justice must be observed and mercy loved
Introduction of the discourse.
We have heard several holy readings being recited, and it is fitting for us to say what the Lord has deigned to grant. But every listener of the readings remembers better what was read more recently, and expects that something will be said by the speaker of the word from that. Therefore, when the Holy Gospel is recited last, I do not doubt that your love is looking to hear something about that vineyard, and about the workers, and about the wage of a denarius. But I recall what I promised the previous Sunday. For when I wished to explain something about what had been read from the holy Prophet, but it was read that it had been declared to the man inquiring by what sacrifices he might please God, that God sought nothing from him except to do justice and righteousness and to love mercy, and to be ready to walk with the Lord, his God, I treated, as far as I could, on justice, and the discourse was extended so that there remained no time to discuss the others. Therefore, I promised myself that I would speak about righteousness today. But those who were expecting to hear about the Gospel, do not think yourselves deceived. For the work in that vineyard is itself righteousness.
On justice and faith.
Therefore, consider yourselves as hired. Let those who came at the first hour think of themselves as having been brought at that time; those who are adolescents, at the third hour; those who are young men, at the sixth; those who are older, at the ninth; those who are elderly, at the eleventh. Do not complain about the time. Listen to the work you are to do, and confidently await the reward. And if you pay attention to what kind of Lord you have, do not envy if the reward is the same. You know what the work is, but I will remind you. Hear what you know, and do what you have heard. We have said that God's work is justice. But the Lord Jesus, when asked what God's work is, answered: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." Our pious Lord could have said: "Justice is the work of God." But would we contractors dare to presume anything against the head of the family? If justice is the work of God, as I have said, how can it be the work of God which the Lord said to believe in Him, unless it is justice itself to believe in Him? "But behold," you say, "we have heard from the Lord: 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him.' From you we have heard that the work of God is justice. Prove to us that believing in Christ is this justice." It seems to you, since I now respond to the one asking and asking rightly, it seems to you that believing in Christ is not justice? What then is it? Assign a name to this work. Without a doubt, if you consider well what you have heard, you will answer me: "This is called faith. Believing in Christ is called faith." I accept what you say, that believing in Christ is called faith. Listen also to another place from Scripture: "The just shall live by faith." Do justice, believe: "The just shall live by faith." It is difficult for someone who believes well to live badly. Believe with all your heart, believe without wavering, without hesitating, without arguing against the very faith with human suspicions. Faith is so named because what is said is done. When 'faith' is said, two syllables sound. The first syllable is from the deed, the second from the saying. Therefore, I ask you whether you believe? You say: "I believe." Do what you say, and it is faith. For I can hear the voice of the one answering, I cannot see the heart of the believer. But am I the one who hired you to the vineyard, I who cannot see the heart? Neither do I hire, nor do I prescribe the work, nor do I prepare the denarius as a reward. I am your fellow worker. As much as He grants me the strength, I labor in the vineyard. The one who hired me sees with what spirit I labor. For, as the Apostle says, it matters very little to me to be judged by you. And you can hear my voice, but you cannot see my heart. Let us all present our hearts to God to be seen, and let us do our work from the heart. Let us not offend the one who hires us, so that we may receive our reward with a clear conscience.
A Christian can be called darkness and light.
And we, dearest ones, will see each other’s hearts, but later. Now, however, we still carry around the shadows of this mortality and walk by the lantern of Scripture, as the Apostle Peter says: We have a more sure prophetic word, to which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Therefore, dearest ones, because of the very faith by which we believe in God, compared to the unbelievers we are day. In unbelief, we were night with them, now light, as the Apostle says: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Darkness in you, light in the Lord. Again in another place: For you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of night nor of darkness. Let us walk honestly as in the day. Therefore, in comparison to the unbelievers, we are day. But in comparison to that future day when the dead shall rise and this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, we are still night. The Apostle John says to us, as if already in the day: Beloved, we are now children of God. And yet, because it is still night, what follows? It has not yet been revealed what we shall be. We know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. But that is the reward, not the work. We shall see him as he is, that is the reward itself. Then it will be day, a day that cannot be brighter. Now, therefore, let us walk honestly in this already day; in this still night, let us not judge each other. For notice even the Apostle Paul who said: Let us walk honestly as in the day, is not contradicting or differing from his fellow apostle Peter who said: To which you do well to heed, namely to the divine word, as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
We cannot penetrate the hearts of our neighbors.
See this very thing being said by the Apostle Paul: Therefore do not judge anything before the time. And when will the time be? Until the Lord comes, and brings to light the hidden things of darkness, and makes manifest the thoughts of the heart, and then each one will receive praise from God. What does it mean: before the time, if not before you see each other’s hearts? Pay attention if this is what I said. Listen to all the words of his sentence for a little while. Do not judge anything before the time. And when will the time be? Until the Lord comes and brings to light the hidden things of darkness, and makes manifest the thoughts of the heart, and then each one will receive praise from God. How will darkness reprove you, when you will be praised by the light? Then the hearts will be open, but now they are hidden. Someone is suspected as an enemy, and perhaps he is a friend. Another appears as a friend, and perhaps he is a hidden enemy. O darkness! He rages and loves; he flatters and hates. If I judge by voices, I avoid a calm rock and run aground: I flee from a friend, I cling to an enemy. This was done by the hidden heart. There it must be believed, there inside where it is hidden, where it is concealed. You are brought to this for cultivation. There cooperate by believing, where your fellow worker does not see you, but your Lord does. The just man lives by faith. Do this.
Judge yourself, do not spare yourself.
I have already spoken about the previous judgment of the Lord, so that you may judge yourself, and when you find yourself perverse, you do not flatter yourself but correct yourself, and become righteous, and God, who is righteous, will please you. For a righteous God does not please one who is perverse. Do you want the righteous God to please you? Be righteous. Judge yourself, do not spare yourself. Whatever you find that rightfully displeases you in yourself, chastise, amend, correct. Let the holy scripture be to you like a mirror. This mirror has a pure, unlying, flattering splendor, favoring no one's appearance. If you are beautiful, you see yourself as beautiful there; if you are ugly, you see yourself as ugly there. But when you approach it ugly and see yourself as ugly, do not accuse the mirror. Turn back to yourself, the mirror does not deceive you, do not deceive yourself. Judge yourself, grieve over your ugliness, so that when you go away and depart sad, you may return beautiful, corrected from your ugliness. Therefore, when you judge yourself without flattery, judge your neighbor with love. For you judge that which you see. It is possible that you see in him an evil from which you become stained, it is possible that your neighbor confesses his sin to you, and reveals to a friend what he had hidden in his heart. Judge as you see. What you do not see, leave to God. But when you judge, love the person, hate the sin. Do not love sin for the person's sake, nor hate the person for the sin's sake. The person is your neighbor; the sin is an enemy to your neighbor. Then you love your friend if you hate what harms your friend. If you believe, you act, because the just lives by faith.
The vices of friends are not to be loved.
What abounds in human affairs, I say this: Sometimes, one who was a friend of both becomes an enemy of your dearest friend. Two out of three friends begin to be enemies of each other; what should the one who remains in the middle do? He wishes, demands, insists that you hate the one whom he has begun to hate, and he says these words to you: "You are not my friend if you are a friend of my enemy." The voice of this one to you is the same as that one's to you. For you were three. You were three; two began to be discordant, and you remained. If you join this one, you will have the other as an enemy; if you join that one, you will have this one as an enemy; if you join both, both will murmur against you. Behold the temptation; behold the thorns in the vineyard where we are hired. Perhaps you expect to hear from me what you should do. Remain a friend to both. Let those who are discordant with each other reconcile through you. If you hear any ill-speaking from one about the other, do not betray it to the other, lest they afterward become friends again who now are enemies, and they might expose their betrayers to themselves. But I said this because of men, not because of the eyes of Him who hired us. Behold, no one betrays you. God sees and judges you. You heard a word from one who is angry, from one who is suffering, from one who is offended. Let it die within you. Why is it betrayed, why is it brought forth? For if it remains within you, it will not burst you. Indeed, say truly to your friend, who wants to make you an enemy of your friend; address him and gently treat his troubled mind with the softness of medicine. Say to him: "Why do you want me to be an enemy of that one?" He will respond: "Because he is my enemy." "Do you therefore want me to be an enemy of your enemy? I ought to be an enemy of your vice. This person whom you want me to make an enemy is a man. There is another enemy of yours whom I ought to be an enemy of if I am your friend." He will respond: "Who is this other enemy of mine?" "Your vice." He will respond: "What is my vice?" "The hatred with which you hate your friend." Therefore, be like a doctor. The doctor does not love the afflicted if he does not hate the affliction. To free the sick, he pursues the fever. Do not love the vices of your friends if you love your friends.
Of the speck and the beam in the eyes.
But what I say, do you think I do what I say? My brothers, I do, if I first do it in myself. However, I do it in myself, if I receive it from the Lord. I hate my vices, I offer my heart to be healed to my doctor. I pursue them as much as I can, I groan about them, I confess that they are in me, and behold, I accuse myself. You who reproach me, correct yourself. This is justice, lest it be said to us: "You see the speck in your brother's eye, but you do not see the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Anger is a speck; hatred is a beam. But nurture the speck and it becomes a beam. Anger aged becomes hatred, a nurtured speck becomes a beam. Therefore, so that the speck does not become a beam, do not let the sun go down on your anger. Do you see, do you feel yourself bruised with hatred, and you reproach the angry? Remove hatred, and you rightly reproach anger. The speck is in his eye, the beam in yours. For if you hate, how do you see to detract? The beam is in your eye. Why is the beam in your eye? Because you neglected the speck born there. You slept with it, you rose with it. You cultivated it in yourself, you watered it with false suspicions, by believing the words of flatterers and of those who bring bad words about your friend, you nurtured the speck, you did not pluck it out. By your diligence, you made it a beam. Remove the beam from your eye, do not hate your brother. Are you afraid, or are you not afraid? I tell you: Do not hate, and you are safe. And you answer me and say to me: "What is it to hate? And what harm is it that a man hates his enemy?" Do you hate your brother or not? But if you despise hatred, listen to what you do not heed: Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. Whoever hates is a murderer. You have not prepared poison. Can you now say: "What does it matter to me if I am a murderer?" Whoever hates is a murderer. You did not prepare poison. You did not proceed to strike the enemy with the sword. You did not prepare an instrument of crime, nor a place, nor a time. Lastly, you did not commit the very crime. You only hated, and you killed yourself before him. Therefore, learn justice so that you do not hate except the vices, love men. If you hold this, and do this justice, so that you also prefer the men even the vicious to be healed rather than condemned, you have done a good work in the vineyard. But practice this, my Brothers.
On forgiving offenses and laying aside hatred.
Behold, after the sermon, the dismissal of the catechumens takes place; the faithful will remain. We will come to the place of prayer. You know what we are going to approach. What shall we first say to God? Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Act so that you may forgive, act. For you will come to these words of the prayer. How will you say them, how will you not say them? Finally, I ask: Will you say them, or will you not say them? Do you hate, and say them? You will answer me: "Therefore, I do not say them". Do you pray, and not say them? Do you hate, and say them? Do you pray, and not say them? Behold, respond quickly. Therefore, if you say them, you lie. If you do not say them, you deserve nothing. Observe yourself, attend to yourself. You are about to pray, forgive from the whole heart. You want to contend with your enemy, first contend with your heart. Contend, I say, contend with your heart. Say to your heart: Do not hate. Yet your heart, your mind still hates. Say to your soul: Do not hate. "How will I pray, how will I say: Forgive us our debts? Indeed, I can say this, but how will I say what follows? As we also". What? As we also forgive. Where is faith? Do what you say: As we also.
But your soul does not wish to be released and is sorrowful, because you say to it: "Do not hate." Respond to it: Why are you sorrowful, my soul, and why do you disturb me? Why do you disturb me? Or else: Why are you sorrowful? Do not hate, so that you do not destroy me. Why do you disturb me? Hope in God. You languish, you pant, you are wounded by sickness. You cannot remove hatred from yourself. Hope in God; He is the physician. For you, He hung on the wood, and He is not yet avenged. What do you want to be avenged? It is for this reason that you hate, so that you may be avenged. Look at your Lord hanging, look at Him hanging and as if from a wooden tribunal commanding you. Look at Him hanging, and for you, languishing, making a medicine from His blood. Look at Him hanging. Do you want to be avenged? Do you want to be avenged? Look at Him hanging, hear Him praying: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Let us imitate Saint Stephen.
"But you might say to me, 'He could do this; I cannot. For I am human, He is God.' Therefore, He was human; that human God was a human. Why then was God human, if not to set right the human condition? But behold, I speak to you. O human, it is too much for you to imitate your Lord; look to Stephen, your fellow servant. Surely, holy Stephen was a man. Was he God and man? Plainly, he was a man. He was what you are. But what he did was only by the grace of Him whom you also implore. Yet see what he did. He spoke to the Jews, he was fierce, and he loved. I must show both, because I said: he was fierce; I said: and he loved. I must demonstrate both, both his fierceness and his love. Hear the fierceness: 'Stiff-necked.' These are the words of Saint Stephen when he addressed the Jews: 'Stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. Which of the prophets did your fathers not kill?' You have heard the fierceness. I owe you the other part, so hear also the love. They became angry at him, grew more inflamed and, repaying evil for good, ran to the stones and began to stone the servant of God. Here, Holy Stephen, prove your love. Here, let us see you, here let us watch you, here let us perceive the victor over the devil. We heard you being fierce against the silent ones; let us see if you love those who are fierce. You were fierce against the silent ones; let us see if you love those who stone you. For if you hated and could have hated, now is the time when you are being stoned. Now, you ought to hate the most. Let us see if you repay the hardness of heart with hard stones, with the stones of those who stone you. For they send stones, hard men sending hard stones. Those who received the law on stone, send stones."
Let us see, beloved, let us see, let us behold the great spectacle. Let us behold what is to be proposed for tomorrow. Let us see. Behold, Stephen is being stoned. Let him be set as if before our eyes. Behold, a member of Christ, behold an athlete of Christ, look upon him who hung on the wood for you. He was crucified, you were stoned. He said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. What do you say? Let me hear. Let me behold you, perhaps I might imitate you. First, blessed Stephen standing prayed for himself, and said: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Having said this, he knelt down, and kneeling he said: Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Having said this, he fell asleep. O blessed sleep, and true rest! Behold what it is to rest, to pray for the enemies. But for a little while I beseech you, holy Stephen, explain this to me, I do not know what it is, why you prayed standing for yourself, and knelt praying for your enemies. Perhaps he will respond what we understand: "For myself I prayed standing, because for me, who rightly served God, I did not labor in praying and obtaining. For myself, I did not labor." He who prays for the righteous does not labor. Therefore, he prayed standing for himself. It had come to pray for the Jews, for the murderers of Christ, for the murderers of the saints, for his own stoners, he considered that their impiety was exceedingly great, which could scarcely be forgiven, and he knelt. Fasten your knee in this vineyard, strong worker. Fasten, I say, your knee in the work of this vineyard, bravest worker. Your great work, distinguished and much to be praised. You dug very deep, who cast out the hatred of enemies from the heart. Turned to the Lord.