Spiritual Homilies 1 part 2/36

For it is impossible, where that darkness of the passions and the death of the mind of the flesh exist, that it should not show forth some fruit of its own wickedness, either secretly or openly.

For just as, if someone has a wound on the body, as long as he is still treating and tending it, it is impossible for it not to discharge some moisture, even if but a little; whereas if the one treating and caring for it should neglect it, it clearly works putrefaction and ruin for the whole body — in the same way the passions of the soul too, when treated without intense and much attention, still lurk within, but when carefully treated through the power of the Lord, receive complete healing.

And if the earthly physician heals the wounds of the body, how much more does the heavenly physician, the Lord, heal the hard-to-cure passions of the soul? For there is a certain hidden filth and darkness of passions, beyond man's pure nature, that has come in upon all humanity through the transgression of Adam, and it clouds and defiles both soul and body.

But just as iron, being fired and hammered, is purified and made into a vessel useful to its owner; or as gold mixed with bronze or iron is separated only through fire — in the same way the soul too, through Christ the heavenly craftsman, being fired by the Holy Spirit and hammered by the sufferings of Christ, is purified of every passion and all sin.

And just as, on the sea, when the wind was blowing, the waves were rising, and the boat was in danger, the Lord rebuked the wind and it ceased — so also in the hidden workshop of the heart, when the soul is tossed by evil reasonings and the passions of wickedness, the Lord, as it were, arises when entreated and rebukes the spirits of wickedness and the wave of the bitter sea of sin, and a calm of grace comes upon the soul and its thoughts.

And thus he is bound unhindered to the love of the Lord and of the neighbor — only let us, as has been said, set a good end upon the beginning, not turning back or swerving from the way of righteousness, but truly seeking the Lord and persevering to the end in prayer; and thus, remaining steadfast in all the virtues, we shall in no way be deprived of life.

For faithful is he who has promised it to those who seek him in truth.

Star differs from star in glory.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. Answer.

The meaning of this Scripture is understood in two ways.

One way concerns the sanctification of the spirit, through which people are led into the perfect fulfillment of the commandments of Christ;

and according to the other way, it concerns the resurrection itself of bodies, which are raised in differing glory.

And "it differs in glory" according to the difference of the gifts, since to one is given the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, and so on.

For just as many lamps happen to be lit from one oil and one fire, yet do not shine forth the brightness of the fire in equal measure, because one is greater and another lesser, so also the gifts that have been increased through more numerous good deeds (that is, through the oil) possess a greater brightness of the Holy Spirit.

And just as in a city, though there are many inhabitants dwelling in it and nourished by one bread and one water, some of them are grown men and others are infants, and there is great difference among them.

And just as grain, sown in the same land, sends up differing ears, some more, some fewer, yet in the same land, and is gathered on the same threshing floor and stored in the same barn — so also in the resurrection of the dead, a difference of glory is granted to those who rise, according to the worth of their good deeds and according to their participation, from now on, in the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, the light around them being one, as also the light around the stars is one, and the one gift of God shining upon those who rise according to the worth of their present good deeds.

For even if one star is smaller than another, yet it shines with the same light — only let one who is born of the Holy Spirit be purified from the sin dwelling within.

For in one respect this birth itself has an image of perfection, namely in form and members, yet not in power, or in mind, or in manly courage.

For he who grows toward a perfect man and the full measure of stature does away with all the things of the infant.

For this is what the apostle says:

whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away.

For just as the grown man neither accepts the speech of a child nor its food, but holds instead to a different food and manner of life, so also he who grows toward the perfection of evangelical good deeds brings his own infancy to rest in perfection.

When I became a man, I did away with the things of the infant.

That it has been rightly said that birth is perfect in one respect, you will know from the things that were done by the Lord.

For when the Lord was born, all creation was stirred: angels sang hymns, a star made it known, shepherds were amazed; likewise also, when he was bringing this mystery to completion upon the cross, all creation was thrown into turmoil:

for the sun was darkened, the veil of the temple was torn, tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose.

You see that, in one respect, being born of the Holy Spirit is a perfection.

Does then he who has been born of the Spirit no longer have sin and the darkness of the passions? Answer.

This darkness of which you speak, and the passions, are the strap and the rod of children.

This is another matter: a servant strikes his master while the master is still an infant, for the master's own benefit.

But know this one thing: if a soul loves God in truth, all these things that seem more grievous, and the wars of the passions, are for its benefit.

For those who love God, all things work together for good; and again:

tribulation produces endurance, and so on.

For even evil can work together with good, not by its own good intention, but only provided that the soul is bound by love toward God.

Does then he who has been born of the Spirit have no war? Answer.

The king himself still goes forth to war — how much more, then, one who has newly been born!

Is he then not free? Answer.

It is one thing to be born, and another to be a warrior; one thing to be a victor, and another to be free.

Concerning birth, we were saying that in one respect it is perfect, in that the infant preserves all its members intact.

For a man can also be led astray by his own natural reasonings — being negligent, or contemptuous, or boasting, or being puffed up, or being exalted.

And hear what Paul, the free man, says:

Lest, he says, I should be exalted above measure, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan.

You see that even those who have attained such great spiritual measures have need of much watchfulness.

For if a man does not give Satan occasion and impulse, Satan does not lord it over him.

For neither the Lord nor Satan takes him by force; but if he is pleased and agrees with grace, he is perfected in it; whereas if he does not agree, even though he has been born — that is, even though he has become a partaker of the Spirit — he himself becomes the cause of falling into the will of Satan.

For if Satan took by force, and the Lord likewise by force, man would not be the cause of his going into Gehenna, nor would he be praiseworthy in going into the kingdom.

What is a man to do when he is being led astray by Satan, whether through certain plausible-seeming things, or through what resembles a revelation of the light of grace? Answer.

For just as, if a man wishing to test the chastity of his own wife should go to her at night as a stranger wanting to sin with her, and she cries out and strikes him, he rejoices that she guards her chastity with such exactness;

so also, with testing and knowledge, with discernment, receive even the heavenly things themselves.

For if you should reject the heavenly things themselves for fear of those that are not heavenly, those who belong to the Lord rejoice, and give you all the more to partake of grace and to be filled with spiritual enjoyment, because of your love toward the Lord.

Do not, then, quickly give yourself over, carried away by fickleness, but remain steady, and with careful testing, holding fast the good, put away the evil.

For if you have a beloved friend, and there is some enemy of his who comes disguised in the appearance of the friend, and you receive the enemy as a friend, you insult your friend, because you welcome his enemy.

You ought, therefore, to test and discern, and only then to trust.

Now the workings of grace are manifest — things which sin, even if it transforms itself into the appearance of good, is unable to provide.

For, it is said, Satan knows how to transform himself even into an angel of light, evidently in order to deceive.

But even if, transforming himself into radiant visions, he presents phantasms to the soul, wishing to deceive it, he cannot provide the good working by which it is precisely known to be genuine.

For he cannot work love toward God and toward the brethren, but only, perhaps, conceit and haughtiness — not gentleness, not fairness, not humility, not joy, not peace, not a settled state of the reasonings, not hatred of the world, not spiritual rest toward God, not desire for the heavenly goods; nor does he cause pleasures and passions to cease — all of which are the workings of grace.

For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and so on.

From its working, then, you will know whether the intellectual light that has shone into your soul is of God, or is of Satan.

But the soul itself too, if it has discernment, immediately knows the difference from its intellectual perception.

For just as lettuce may look similar to wild chicory, or vinegar to wine, in appearance, yet the throat, by taste, recognizes the difference of each, so the soul, by intellectual perception and by the working, recognizes both the gifts of the Spirit and the phantasms of Satan.

What is the meaning of this, that every sin a man commits is outside the body;

but he who commits fornication sins against his own body? Answer.

One reason is that a man's wife is called his body;

for it is said, the two shall become one flesh.

he sins against the body, that is, against his own wife.

But there is yet another way, deeper still, with reference to the spiritual sense:

For your body belongs to the Lord, as Paul says:

"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."

For just as, according to the bodily order, Eve was taken out of Adam, and if Adam had not been joined to her she would not have borne the fruit of childbearing, so too, unless the soul is joined to Christ through grace in the fellowship of the Spirit, it cannot bring forth spiritual and heavenly fruits of perfect virtues. For it is said, "the two shall become one flesh"; and the apostle adds this, allegorizing the scripture spiritually:

"This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the church"—which is the souls of the saints.

Therefore your body belongs to the Lord.

If, then, the soul invisibly consorts in its reasonings, through hidden passions, with the evil one as with a strange man, it sins against its own body, that is, against the Lord.

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up."

Could no other creature, then, have been set as an image and type of the Lord, except the venomous, creeping serpent? Answer:

The serpent is set forth as a great mystery for those able to understand the mysteries of God.

But so far as we are able to speak of it, we will not shrink back.

The serpent has within itself a poison by which those bitten are killed, and it has also a medicine of life, by partaking of which those who have been bitten are made alive, the deadly venom being nullified in them through the medicine of life.

Those experienced in such matters say that both medicines are tested in this way: when the cause of life comes near the mixture of the deadly medicine, the venom immediately separates itself from the wine with which it had been mixed, as though struck, and withdraws before the medicine of life.

So also, when man came under death through the transgression from the beginning, death became bitter in him.

For through the transgression of the one man, the whole race of mankind died together with him and suffered together with him.

For as it is said, "through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin, death; and so death passed upon all men, in that all sinned."

For mankind was embittered together, and through sins and passions was made like the venom of the noetic serpent and its malice; and man was, as it were, made brutish, becoming like a serpent, creeping about among earthly reasonings and the passions of sin.

That man, through malice, was made like the serpent — hear this in the Gospel, where John the Baptist speaks to those coming to be baptized by him:

"You serpents, offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, then, fruit worthy of repentance."

Man, then, having been put to death and made like unto death, there was found in him the Lord himself as the medicine of life, by whom death is put to death, and by whom the deadly venom of the passions of malice is destroyed, and men are made alive.

It was, then, a type of the body of the Lord, for the conviction of the Jews who were unwilling to believe in him who was crucified.

For the blessed Moses, wishing to raise up the grovelling mind of the people to the heights and to teach them to look upward, made the bronze serpent to be lifted up upon a pole at God's command; and so those who were then being bitten by serpents, by lifting up their eyes and looking upon the bronze serpent in faith, were saved, according to the Master's command given at that time.

For, not yet being able to believe in God directly, they were, as it were, guided to look upward and to believe in the Master's power, and so they were healed.

...the power of God then dwelling in the bronze serpent — so also those who have been bitten by the spiritual serpents of malice, and wounded by the deadly venom of the passions, must give heed and believe in the dead, crucified body, and so be healed; which to the Jews is a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who believe, the crucified body is Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

As therefore there, the living who had been bitten were saved by believing in a dead serpent, so here the living who have been bitten by the serpent, the devil, and who carry within themselves the venom of malice spreading through the passions, are saved by believing in the dead body that has been made divine, the deadly venom of the passions within them being nullified.

For from that same Adam who was put to death, there was found for man the medicine of life, which is the body of the Lord, through which every venom of sin is destroyed in those who believe.

At the same time this discourse also refutes the Jews here: for if those men were saved by believing in a dead bronze serpent, why do these not believe in the crucified body that died and rose again and ascended into the heavens, that they might live? The serpent, then, which Moses lifted up, is a type and mystery of life and death, that is, of sin and of the Lord.

But the mystery concerning the serpent has yet another meaning.

Just as the devil in the beginning, using envy and malice, through a tree and a serpent deceived Adam and Eve and brought about their expulsion from paradise, and cast them down from their former purity and glory into bitter passions and death, and thereafter, taking the whole race of mankind captive under him, led them astray into every sin and foul passion — through which also all creation, defiled by idolatry and offered to demons, groaned bitterly — in the same manner God, in his ineffable wisdom, taking thought for mankind, sent forth his servant Moses for the redemption of the people through the wood of the rod, which, being turned into a serpent, swallowed up the rods of the magicians that had been turned into serpents, and through which he wrought redemption for the people, and through which God did the signs in Egypt, and through which also the sea was torn apart.

Likewise also in the wilderness, as was said before, through the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole, God granted life among the people to those who believed, so that through the very things by which the devil in the beginning wrought death and captivity, through these same things the Lord might dispense life and redemption.

For through a tree and a serpent, and through a woman and a man, death and the passions of sin were brought upon mankind.

For the law perfected nothing; but at the coming of the Savior the whole mystery was fulfilled, and the perfect amendment of the soul was accomplished through Mary — who is taken in place of Eve, as "Life" — she who bore to the world the Savior, the second Adam, who gave himself up to death for the salvation of mankind.

For it is said, "He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification"; and again, that "one died for all," so that those who believe in him might be redeemed and made alive from the condemnation of the passions and of death that came upon the world through Adam; and those who have been bitten by the noetic serpents of malice, by gazing upon him in faith, live eternal life, every deadly venom of the passions being nullified in them through the power of the Lord.

But also all creation, having been set free through the name of the Lord, rejoiced greatly.

For all things are sanctified through the word of God and prayer, as it is written:

Through the very things, then, by which the devil in the beginning defiled the world and wrought death for it, through these same things the Lord dispensed purification and life for the world, dissolving all his devices.

There are also precious stones set forth as a mystery, among which is the one called the magnet.

This stone, through its own shadow, seizes iron; and the power of the stone, passing through the iron, seizes another piece of iron, and again through that one, yet another — as a type of the precious and holy stones that were to roll upon the earth, as the prophet said:

"that holy stones roll upon the earth" — that is, the archetype, the cornerstone, the precious stone, the Lord, and the holy apostles.

For indeed the shadow of Peter raised a dead man; and the Lord's body, put to death for our sake, by overshadowing raised up many of the dead.

For having descended into Hades, he brought up many.

For it is said, "many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised."

And now too, in secret, the power of that body, overshadowing each believing soul, raises it up from the deadness of the passions; and at the resurrection of the dead, when that body comes again in much glory, the very bodies of all mankind will also be raised up through his power, so that each one may receive what he has done through the body, whether good or evil.

This stone, then, was called the Rock, working many wonders for the Israelites.

"They drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."

The Rock, then, followed them, through which the waters also flowed out; this Rock divided the sea, this became the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, this brought down the manna from heaven for the Israelites, this guided them and provided all their benefits — and this was Christ.

In this respect the Rock conferred its benefit, and in another respect the rod, as was said before — the power of God dwelling both in the rod and in the Rock.

For when God appeared to Moses in the wilderness, he said, "Go to Pharaoh, and say, Send forth the people, that they may serve me." But he answered:

"I am slow of tongue and slow of speech, and I am not able to go."

"For no one will listen to me." God persuades him:

"Go; I am preparing myself before you, that they may listen to you." Then, to convince him yet more fully, he says:

"What is it that you hold in your hand?" And he said:

"Throw it down." And he threw it, and behold, it became a creeping serpent; and Moses, being afraid, fled.

"Do not be afraid; take hold of its tail." And when he took hold of it, it became a rod again.

He took soot and threw it toward heaven, and there came boils.

Again he raised his hand over the river, and the water was restored to its original nature.

If a rod can change the waters from their original nature, how much more will the Lord change the soul that hopes in him, out of the bitter condition of the passions, into the love of the Spirit.

And if the land of Egypt trembled upon seeing the rod of Moses, how much more, if the Spirit of God overshadows a believing soul, will the land of the noetic Egypt of the passions of sin tremble with fear? For the rod and the Rock provided a great feast for the Israelites, and warmed them as though in a bridal chamber and a wedding hall.

It rained down; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills leaped like lambs of the flock; the sea saw and fled, being split apart; the Jordan turned back.

This Rock also poured forth rivers, as a type of the Lord, from whom spiritual rivers were destined to flow forth.

And now too, if anyone, believing, acquires in his own soul the true and spiritual Rock and the rod of his power, he will find in himself, with full assurance, every ineffable benefit and every incorruptible enjoyment.

Let us, therefore, brethren, be diligent to give ourselves entirely, wholly, to the Lord, lifting ourselves free from every earthly distraction and every desire, and let us completely consecrate soul and body to well-pleasing him and to his service; so that, being made worthy from now on of the heavenly gift of the Spirit, and through him receiving redemption from all malice, and being perfectly sanctified and restored blameless through grace, we may become heirs of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion and honor and worship, together with his Father without beginning, and the all-holy, good, life-giving, and worshipful Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages.

Through disobedience, the soul departed far from God.

For just as wild beasts flee the light of day and sink down into the forests of the wilderness, so too the soul, having turned away from the way of truth by its own will, sank into this present age, which is to the soul as a forest, a wilderness, night, and illusion.

For she loved darkness, forsaking the light; she departed from life and loved death; she abandoned the fountain of life and loved the fountain of darkness and death; she stripped off faith and love and gentleness and patience — for she did not abide in the word — and she put on unbelief and wrath and anger, malice and envy and self-will, and wrapped around herself, by her own will, evil entanglement as a garment — the soul, that is.

Therefore she disobeyed the first, luminous and steadfast voice, and obeyed instead the second, unsteady and dark voice; and so, by her own will forsaking the glorious and unending age, she loved the present age, and the soul scattered herself over all this earth.

The prophets and righteous men from the beginning, then, strove to gather together the scattered soul and to present her perfect, but they were not able.

But the good and loving Master, who encompasses all things by his own will — the living Word, true God before the ages —

this Word truly became flesh and dwelt among us, who is our Lord Jesus Christ.

This Word is in our midst as a hunter capturing prey, and he gathered together the soul that had been scattered by this present age, and made her perfect, spotless, and blameless.

"My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; I will sing and make melody to you."

For just as one who is shut up in a dark house does not see his own body, so also the soul, having through disobedience become shut up by sin in this age, does not recognize its own beauty.

When, then, will the heart prepare itself and speak to God with boldness?

"My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready."

...that the Word may manifest to it his own glory.

Since, then, the soul by its own will gave itself over to the spirits of wickedness, it is led by them, and passions of dissipation are stirred up within it — I mean the spirit of gluttony — which produces excessive drinking and excessive eating, luxury and profligacy, and suggests to the soul long spans of time, so that it may gather riches in this age, distracting it, in order that in the age to come it may render it unworthy.

And not only this, but also luxury and profligacy, as we have said before, produce love of money and covetousness and filthy thoughts, and thus each spirit stirs up its own passion.

Knowing these things, therefore, the Word of truth, our Lord, who showed us the way through the Gospel, says:

"Do not be anxious about tomorrow"; and by this reminder not to be anxious about tomorrow, he drives away the pretext of the evil spirits, so that we should not be occupied with food and drink, nor be anxious for long spans of time, but rather, as the living Word teaches us through the Gospel:

"The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his own field."

For just as a bird flying over the plain land is pursued by evil birds, so that that bird is torn apart and devoured by them; but if that bird looks about for some place where a great tree is rooted, and takes refuge in it, it is delivered from the evil birds — so also the soul is scattered in this age, flying from east to west and from north to south, pursued by the evil spirits into the works of this age.

But when the soul perceives the tree of truth and takes refuge in it and makes its dwelling among its branches, it is delivered from the evil spirits, and they are unable to enter into it; yet from outside they lie in wait for it, watching for when it might depart from the Word, so that they may overpower it.

But when the soul comes to the branches of the Word, there is need of patience and long-suffering, until the eyes of the soul see clearly, and it perceives the fruit and partakes of it and is filled, so that there is no longer any necessity to walk outside the Word.

But how shall we understand the way of the Word? Just as one traveling on the royal highway journeys toward the city in which the king dwells, and having begun the journey, observes the signposts, never being carried off to another place, and not growing slack through indolence and negligence, but rather, being diligent, takes note of how great a distance remains to the city — for from the signposts he knows the distance — so let us come to know the way of the Spirit, just as the Savior has shown us.

The one, then, who wanders in this age, wanders as in the wilderness thicket, and, walking pathlessly among the rocks, tramples upon thorns and thistles.

But when he comes upon the way of the Word, he sees the sign and understands the word — that is, the place to which he has arrived on the way of truth.

Now the first sign on the way of the Word says:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

He blesses those who are poor in spirit, who are impoverished with respect to the spirit of this present age, possessing nothing of it, but who are rich in part in the Spirit of truth, and remain insatiable, as though possessing nothing, until they attain the perfect.