Sermon 72 augm

Sermon 72

(On the Words of the Lord in the Gospel according to Matthew:
Or make the tree good, and its fruit good )

A bad man cannot have good works.

(1. Our Lord Jesus Christ has admonished us to be good trees and to be able to have good fruits. For he says: Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad. For by the fruit the tree is known. Where he says: Make the tree good, and its fruit good, this indeed is not an admonition, but a healthy precept, to which obedience is necessary. But when he says: Make the tree bad, and its fruit bad, it is not a precept to do so, but a warning to avoid it. For he spoke against those who thought that, when they were evil, they could speak good things or have good works. This the Lord Jesus says is not possible. For a man must first be changed, so that his works may be changed. For if a man remains in his evil state, he cannot have good works; if he remains in his good state, he cannot have evil works.)

We have all been found evil.

(2. But who has been found good by the Lord, since Christ died for the ungodly? Therefore, he found all bad trees. But he gave the power to become children of God to those who believe in his name. Therefore, whoever today is a good man, that is, a good tree, was found bad and made good. And if, when he found bad trees, he wanted to uproot rather than allow to remain what was not worthy of uprooting, what would be left? But he came to bestow mercy, so that later he might exercise judgment, to whom it is said: "I will sing of mercy and judgment to you, O Lord." Therefore, he gave the forgiveness of sins to believers; he did not want to have an account with them regarding past records. He gave the forgiveness of sins: he made good trees. He postponed the axe: he gave safety.)

Great is God's patience towards us.

(3. About this ax, John speaks, saying): Already (the ax is laid at the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. About this ax, the householder threatens in the Gospel, saying: Behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this tree and find none. Now I must vacate the place: therefore let it be cut down. And the vine-dresser intercedes: Lord, leave it alone this year also: I will dig around it.)
I will also apply manure to it; if it bears fruit, good; if not, you will come and cut it down. The Lord visited the human race as if through three years, which means through three certain periods. The first period is before the law; the second, in the law; the third is now, which is the time of grace. For if He did not visit the human race before the law, where did Abel come from? Where did Enoch come from? Where did Noah come from? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Whose God He wanted to be called, as if He were the God of three men: I am, He says, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But if He did not visit in the law, He would not have given the law. After the law, the householder Himself came: He suffered, died, and rose again, gave the Spirit, and made the Gospel to be preached throughout the whole world. Yet a certain fruitless tree still remained. There is still a part of the human race that does not correct itself. The husbandman intercedes: the Apostle prays for the people: I bend my knees, he says, for you to the Father, that being rooted and grounded in love, you may have the strength to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length, the height and depth, to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Bending the knees, he intercedes for us before the householder, so that we may not be uprooted. Thus, it is necessary that He comes; He finds us fruitful. The digging around the tree is the humility of the penitent: for every ditch is humble. And the manure basket is the filth of the penitent: for what is filthier than manure? And yet, if used well, what is more fruitful?

Two roots: charity and desire.

Let each one be a good tree. Do not think that you can have good fruits if you remain a bad tree. There will be no good fruit unless of a good tree. Change your heart, and the work will be changed. Uproot desire, plant charity. For just as the root of all evil is greed, so the root of all good is charity. Why then do people murmur or argue among themselves: "What is good?" Oh, if you knew what it is! The good that you want to have is not fully good. The good that you do not want to be, that is a great good! Do you want to have bodily health? Granted, it is good. Nevertheless, it is not a great good, because even a bad person can have it. Do you want to have gold and silver? Behold, I say this too: it is good if you make good use of it; however, you will not use it well if you are bad. Hence, gold and silver are bad for the wicked, good for the good: not because they make people good, but because they find them good, they are converted to good use. Do you want to have honor? It is good, but again, only if you use it well. For how many has honor been the occasion of destruction! For how many has honor been the instrument of good work!

A man wants all good things except himself.

Therefore, let us discern these goods, if we can, because we are speaking of good trees. And there is nothing that anyone should think about, except to strive to turn back from those things by which eyes are corrupted as much as he can, to turn his eyes onto himself, to descend within himself, to examine himself, to inspect himself, to seek himself and to find himself; and what displeases, he should kill, and what pleases, he should adopt, and what he adopts, he should plant. For when a man finds himself empty of better goods, why is he eager for external goods? Behold, what use is a chest full of goods to an empty conscience? You want to have goods, but you do not want to be good! Do you not see that you ought to be ashamed of your goods, if your house is full of goods and holds you as evil? For what is it that you wish to have as evil? Tell me. Nothing at all: not a wife, not a daughter, not a son, not a servant, not a villa, not a tunic, finally not a shoe; and yet you want to have an evil life! I ask you, prefer your life to your shoe. All the things that lie around your eyes, splendid and beautiful, are dear to you; and to yourself, you are vile and foul! If the goods with which your house is full, which you wished for, which you trembled to lose, could respond to you, would they not cry out to you: “Just as you wish to have us as goods, we also want to have you as a good master”? With a silent voice, they intercede against you to your master: “Behold, you gave so many goods to this one, and he himself is evil! What use is it to him to have what he has, when he does not have Him who gave everything?”

The true good is what.

Therefore, he asks, admonished by my words, and perhaps pricked in the heart, he asks what is good, what kind of good, whence comes the good. Well have you understood that this you ought to inquire. I will respond to the one asking, and I will say: This is the good which you cannot lose unwillingly. For you can lose gold, even unwillingly; you can lose a house, you can lose honors, you can lose the very health of the body. But the good by which you are good, you neither receive unwillingly, nor lose unwillingly.
(So, what kind of good is this? The Psalm indeed admonishes us about a great thing, perhaps what we are seeking. For it says: Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? How long that tree for three years? Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? What does it mean to be heavy of heart? Why do you love vanity and seek falsehood? And afterward it says what should be sought: Know that the Lord has made his holy one magnificent. Now also Christ has come, now he has been made magnificent, now he has risen and ascended into heaven, now his name is preached throughout the whole world: How long will you be heavy of heart? The past times suffice: now that holy one is made magnificent, how long will you be heavy of heart? After three years, what remains except the axe? How long will you be heavy of heart? Why do you love vanity and seek falsehood? Still in vain, still useless, still pompous, still fleeting, thus, although Christ the holy one is made magnificent, these things are still sought! Now truth cries out, and still vanity is sought! How long will you be heavy of heart?)

Why is the world scourged so harshly?

The world is justly scourged: for the world now knows the words of the Lord. "And the servant, not knowing his Lord's will and doing things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few." Why? So that he may seek the will of his Lord. Therefore, the servant not knowing the will: this was the world before the Lord magnified His holy one. The servant was not knowing the will of his Lord, and therefore was beaten with few stripes. But the servant now knowing his Lord's will: this is the case now, since the deity magnified His holy one, and not doing His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. So why is it surprising that the world receives many stripes? The servant knows the will of the Lord and does things worthy of stripes. Therefore, let him not refuse to be beaten with many, for if he does not want to hear the teacher unjustly, he will justly suffer the avenger; nor let him murmur against the chastiser, since he sees himself worthy of stripes, in order to merit mercy.

Trema

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]iam

]Est enim

]nunc

]ittitur.

]m in faith,

]ipse si

]tate in

]us afterwards

]Sic enim

]and peace

He gives peace.

God gives peace.

/ Upon peace? To those who have peace here in charity, he will also give them peace; he will give them peace in immortality, not to those who say, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace. Therefore, seek peace and pursue it. Thus, in this psalm, he has exalted his holy one. Therefore, there is one who hears us, because we have one who intercedes for us. Thus, after he had said, "The Lord has exalted his holy one," he added, "The Lord will hear me when I cry out to him." For now, I have an advocate there who sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Turn away from evil, do good.

But because He does not listen to give full peace, except to him who turns away from evil and does good - to turn away from evil is to be angry with oneself, to be pricked in the bed; to do good is to offer the sacrifice of righteousness; to seek peace is to hope in the Lord -, when He had said: "Offer the sacrifice of righteousness," He added: "And hope in the Lord." Now you have been angry with yourself, now you have been pricked, now you have turned away from evil, now you have offered the sacrifice of righteousness still in hope in good works: one thing you do not yet hold, lest you say: "I have already done all these things and still have received nothing," you remain in the work of patience. For tribulation produces patience, patience produces probation, and probation produces hope. Now hope does not disappoint. Be secure: you will not be disappointed. Hope in Him. Now it is still like night: you do not yet see God nor hold what He has promised, but in this night do what the psalm says: "In the day of my tribulation I sought God with my hands at night before you and I was not deceived." In the day of my tribulation: consider this whole life as the day of tribulation, and say: "I sought God with my hands, not with my eyes." For it is still night. Seek with your hands, deserve by your works, do good and say that you have sought the Lord with your hands in this night. What follows and also follows for you: "And I was not deceived." I sought at night, I sought by groping and yet I found. This is, I sought with my hands: diligently and sought by my works. But how did I seek with these hands? Before Him, because of that: "Do not do your righteousness before men," not to avoid their gaze, but not to seek your praise. For if you avoid the sight of those looking at you when you do good, where is that: "Let your works shine before men, that they may see your good deeds?" But see what follows: "And glorify your Father who is in heaven" - that He may be glorified in you who made you good. For you were fit to make yourself evil, you are not fit to make yourself good. You were fit to wound yourself, you are not fit to heal yourself. Therefore, when you do good works, desire this that God may be glorified in you, because when you have offered the sacrifice of righteousness - that is, good works -, it follows that you hope in the Lord.

The blessedness which you seek, you will have in God.

And what am I to hope for? How long am I to hope? Here, do not seek what belongs to this earth. You wish to be blessed, I know. For who does not? You seek a good thing, but not in its proper place. It is as if you hear that gold is good and can only be found under the earth, so you grab a shovel and dig in your house. When asked what you seek, you will answer: "Gold." But the one who knows where gold is found will reply to you: "You seek a good thing, but not in the right place." You seek to be blessed, you wish to be full of joys, you wish to be satisfied with good things so that you do not lack anything and nothing is wanting to you: a great thing, but it is not here. How you may attain it, I will tell you. What can I say but what I have said? Be angry with yourself, convict yourself on your bed, change yourself. Offer the sacrifice of righteousness and hope in the Lord. In Him, you will have what you seek; when you come to Him, there you will have it, because you will have Him of whom it is said: Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.

"Where are the things that were promised to me?"

Finally, what follows here? When he said [and] be pricked - that is, let it repent you for being evil -, offer the sacrifice of righteousness - burn in good works -, he added: Hope in the Lord, and said: Many say: "Who will show us good things?" Lo, they are pricked. "In my bed I was evil: I was angry with myself. I was a thief, I was a plunderer, I was this and that: I was angry with myself, I was pricked in my bed, I changed myself. Now I do good works: when I see someone hungry, I give bread; when I see someone naked, I clothe them; when I see a stranger, I welcome them; when I see someone quarreling, I make peace; when I see someone oppressed, I redeem them; when I see someone sick, I visit them; when I see someone dead, I bury them: where is the good that was promised to me? I have already emended myself, I have already changed, I have already been corrected from evil works and do good ones: where are the things promised to me?" Many say - would that few said this - many say. What do many say? "Who will show us good things?" - where is what was promised to me? "I expend my gold and see nothing. What I expend, I see; what is promised to me, I do not see." It is night. Seek: your hands will not fail, and you will not be deceived. Many say: "Who will show us good things?"

God the only good.

What was that man going to say to whom they were saying, "Who will show us good things?" And what is that good itself? The light of your face, O Lord, has been signed upon us. Behold the good. The light of your face, O Lord, has been signed upon us. We have been made in the image of God, nor are we reshaped except by Him who made us, nor are we reformed except by Him who created us. Therefore, the light of your face, O Lord, has been signed upon us, that we may be your coin and be stored in your treasury. The light of your face, O Lord, has been signed upon us. This is the currency of Christ: the face of our emperor has been signed in us. Christ, like a tax collector, was seeking this coin when, to those criticizing about the tribute, he said, after they showed the coin and responded that it bore the image of Caesar: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Caesar seeks his image in your gold, will God not seek His in your soul? Behold what good things are. Why do many still say, "Who will show us good things?" How long will you be heavy-hearted? You seek goods in which you would fear more. You seek transient goods, you seek temporal goods, you seek goods from which you will be released when alive or leave behind when dead. How long, therefore, will you be heavy-hearted? Why do you love vanity and seek falsehood? Do you want me to show you the good? Have it and you will know. It can be held in the heart, but it cannot be shown to the eyes.

The Lord gives joy to the heart.

Finally, see what follows: "The light of your face is signed upon us, O Lord. You have given," he says, "joy in my heart." In my heart, not in my chamber, not in my chest, but in my heart. See that the light of your face is signed upon us, O Lord. For one acquires gold and puts it in a chest: his heart rejoices, but from vanity, not from truth. Do you want to see how vainly he rejoices who rejoices thus and who mistakens falsehood for truth? This person has a full chest: he leaves his house; wherever he wanders, he rejoices because it is full of his. Another had a full chest and lost what he had to the thief: he does not know, yet he still rejoices; he does not know it has perished, yet he still rejoices. How was it yours when it was not in you? Behold, it is already lost, and you still rejoice. You fuel empty hopes. From where else, unless because you seek vanity? For what purpose? For what benefit, what fruit? Behold, you lost it, even though you loved what you lost. And how did you perish? Return then to the highest good, so you can say: "The light of your face is signed upon us, O Lord. We have become your coins: collect us to your treasure, and we give back Caesar's tribute, to you ourselves, to Caesar what you gave, to you what you made, to you who made us. You have given joy in my heart: there it is from where I rejoice, the inner good, stored in the inner chest." This you cannot unwillingly lose; there he is himself who made it, delighted in his temple, because you are pierced in your chamber.

No one becomes blessed by earthly things.

Finally, after he said: "The light of your face, O Lord, has been signed upon us; you have given gladness in my heart," he looked at those many who said: "Who will show us good things?" and said: "In the time of their grain and wine and oil they have multiplied – their grain, their wine, their oil." They considered these things and longed for earthly things. And when it went well for them, they were filled with these earthly things – they were multiplied – they said the people to whom these things belong are blessed. But what do you say? Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. Because the light of your face, O Lord, has been signed upon us. But those who are multiplied in the time of their grain and wine and oil, let them depart from me; let those who love such things not say to me: "Who will show us good things?" There is something that I can show, but there is no one to whom I can show it. Therefore, they have been multiplied in the time of their grain, wine, and oil.

God is our rest.

What about you? In peace, in the same. What is "in the same"? That which does not change, which is not varied, which is not temporal, which is not sometimes this way, sometimes otherwise. In the same I will sleep. It is difficult to explain what I feel, what he said: I will sleep in the same. I will sleep in peace: in the same I will sleep. He who sleeps, in a way, has a break from the senses of the flesh. Why then are you searching externally for forms and colors for the eyes, songs and pleasant melodies for the ears, various tastes for the palate, different pleasures for the touch for your blessed life? Such a good is not what makes you good, such a good is not what you stated: "Who will show us good things?". The good is within, in the image of God, from where this good is formed which neither eye has seen nor ear has heard. Therefore sleep, take yourself away from the desire of the eyes, do not converse with the senses of the flesh, so that your Lord may say to you: Enter into the joy of your Lord. Therefore in peace, in the same, I will sleep and rest.

We hope for eternal goods from God.

From where is it approached? Since you, Lord, have made me dwell in hope uniquely. This which was said: Hope in the Lord, after iniquity has already been committed and a sacrifice of righteousness has already been offered, it was said. Hope in the Lord, but you have made me dwell in hope uniquely. What does uniquely mean? Not like many who say: "Who will show us good things?", desiring many things and scattered by various pleasures - one seeks this, another that, they do not seek one thing. From the evil of that person, this one desires good. That one cannot enrich himself unless this one falls into poverty. That greater fish cannot be satisfied unless the lesser fish has been devoured. Those who seek these good things do not seek good things, because they seek non-good things. Therefore, uniquely take this, which the impious do not take. O you unique person - the whole body of Christ - O you unique person - the body whose head is Christ - dwell in hope uniquely, do not seek the good things of the nations. For all these things the nations seek. Seek first the kingdom and the righteousness of God - this is the sign of the face of God. In you seek this and, if it is necessary, all these things will be added to you. Will He feed the thief and abandon you? The earth is the Lord's and its fullness.

Love God freely.

Do not withdraw from your God, love your God. To whom you say: "Give me this and that," sometimes say to him: "Give me Yourself." If you love, love freely, do not be an impure soul. Your wife would not please you, if she loved your gold, if she loved you because you gave gold, because you gave a fine tunic, because you gave the best villa, because you gave a chosen slave, because a handsome eunuch, because if she loved these things in you, she would not love you. Do not rejoice in such love: an adulterer can often give more. You wish your wife to love you freely, and you want to sell your faith to God? "Because I believe in you," you say to your God, "give me gold." Are you not ashamed? "Because I believe," you say, "give me gold." You have pledged your faith: look at its price. It is not worth that much, it is not worth gold or silver, your faith is not worth that much; it has a great price: God Himself is its price. Love Him and love Him freely. For if you love Him for something else, you do not love Him. You ought not to desire Him for something else, but whatever else you desire should be for Him, so that all things are referred to the love of Him, and He is not referred to other loves, but He is preferred above all other loves. Love Him, love Him freely. For this reason, that great athlete was provoked by a great adversary saying: "Does Job fear God for nothing?"

Let us seek and love the good of goods.

Therefore, if you wish for good, when you say: "Who will show us good things?", it is God Himself who made you good and who makes you better. He Himself is good by no other good but by His own good. For to you, that you may be good, another good thing happens; to Him that He may be good, no good thing happens. For He is good to Himself by Himself. Commending this great good, the Lord said: "Why do you ask me about what is good? No one is good but God alone." Are there not other goods? Is it not written: "God made all things very good"? But all these things are good through God. However, God is not good through these, nor is He good through other things that possess goodness, but He is the Good of goods. Behold what kind of good it is: seek it. Why do you love vanity and seek after lies? Behold what is good: seek the Good of goods. You seek riches: it is not singular. Look: "Singularly, you have made me dwell in hope." Why is it not singular? Both good and bad possess it. You seek bodily health: both good and bad possess it, and men and beasts; it is not singular. You seek honors: the wicked also attain them; it is not singular. What is singular is what only the good will possess. Here God gives goods to both the good and the bad, He Himself gives good things and bad things to both the good and the bad: to some as torment, to others as exercise. Evils are common to both good and bad. Singular evil is the eternal fire; singular good is the good eternal God. For whatever other things are of creation, God gives even to His enemies: earth and heaven; His enemies use the lights of heaven, the fruits of the earth, bodily health, worldly honors. The creature is what He created and gave to them. He reserves Himself, who created, for you, but if you love freely. For the time will come when He gives Himself to you and it will be said to the impious: "Let the impious be taken away, lest he see the glory of God." Therefore, brothers, let us love God freely, do good, tolerate evil, hope in Him, so that sometime, with Him given back, we may be satisfied with Him alone, who lives and reigns through immortal ages. Amen.