The fruit of repentance follows the arrival of the Savior; indeed, it is fitting for the fruits of repentance to follow the illumination of the Savior. Therefore, yesterday our discourse was exercised upon this subject—a discourse which, while falling far short of the dignity of the matters at hand, nevertheless did not depart from its own inherent power to move us toward repentance, which is the remedy of salvation. And it proclaimed a physician of souls and bodies, one who does not treat with medicine, but heals in a spirit of loving-kindness. A Since, however, the evangelical reading has passed by our minds, distracted as they were hither and thither, it is necessary today to go over these things briefly for you, and then bring the discourse to a close.
The Savior, proposing piety by means of the Word, and by parables, and by enigmas, and by various modes of teaching, introducing what is profitable for the faithful, spoke a certain parable which bears a powerful image of repentance. "A certain man," he says, "had two sons, of whom the younger, approaching, asked his father to divide the substance between them." He obtained what he asked, and having received the paternal substance, he wretchedly wasted it. You know the subject; it is worth our while to introduce the contemplation here. For even if many different interpretations might occur to people, the truth clarifies itself to the sensible. What, then, does the fountain of wisdom signify here? The first order of the righteous, and the second order of those who are justified through repentance: the former, honoring justice from the beginning; the latter, led back to justice through repentance. "A certain man had two sons," whom, even if preference divided—the impious from the pious—yet truth knows all to be one creation of the Creator; and all are sons of God, even if by an evil mind they separate themselves from their own dignity. Hence, if we depart from piety through evil desires, God does not deny the relationship, but even to those who are rebellious he sends a paternal voice: "Return to me, you rebellious sons, and I will return to you." See you that, even if the mind of the sinner is distant, God does not disdain to call those who have departed "sons"? For he knows his own creation, and he does not deny his own beneficence.
Why, then, did the younger son use the things given to him badly? The matter before us is an enigma; and hear how it is so. From the beginning, justice existed, and appeared, and shone; but sin was introduced into the world as something younger and recent. For this reason, the first son is not placed in the position of the one who spent things badly. For the ancient creation had its propriety perfected when the world was new, shining forth with a new grace, with a new propriety. For Moses bears witness to the beauty of the creation, saying: "And all were good"—not simply good, but also "very good." So justice was first, and the good was most ancient; but sin was younger, for it entered upon justice and clouded its propriety.
He divided the possessions between them equally. Why equally? For the righteous have no more in the present life, since "he makes his sun rise over the just and the unjust, and rains upon the good and the evil." But the one who is portrayed in the place of the righteous was unwilling to divide the paternal inheritance, but remained under the authority of the father. For the righteous man always follows God, and does not draw anything away into his own power. Do you wish to learn that the righteous man wishes to take nothing from God, but walks solely by the economy and providence of the same Father? David cries out from the order of the righteous: "For what have I in heaven? and what have I desired from you on earth?" B You see that the order of the righteous does not wish to seize the power of creatures for itself; but wishes for the things of the economy to lie under the providence of the Father.
But the younger, having received the paternal substance, "traveled into a far country"—not distant in places, but separated in ways. For the one who sins is far from God, brothers, not in place, but in way, according to that which is said: "For behold, those who remove themselves from you shall perish." And having received the paternal substance, he squandered it, living dissolutely in it; the creation which he received, he defiled with sin. He received the sun for enjoyment, and he worshiped the gift as God; he received fountains for luxury, and deemed the gift to be God. The Giver was ignored, and the gifts were honored, as Paul cries out in distress: "And they served the creation rather than the Creator." It is the same creation, the same paternal substance; and one used it well, the other badly. This order and that one: well and contrariwise. The pious man sees the beauty of the heaven, and from the beauty considers the Creator; for he says: "I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers." He saw the beauty, and gave thanks to him who wrought such beauty; he saw the world, and praised him who adorned it. For the pious man praises the creation, but worships the Creator; when the pious avoid the worship of visible things, they do not insult the creation, but they assign the honor to the Master. The faithful man does not hate the sun because it shines upon the impious; but he assigns a measure to the honor; and he honors and loves visible things as gifts of God.
Do you wish to see how the pious man sees and admires the beauty, and saves the worship for the Creator? One of the wise—I mean wise according to piety—says: "The sun shining above in the heights of the Lord, a marvelous instrument, a powerful work; shooting forth fiery rays, lighting up the heaven." And what follows immediately? "Great is the Lord who made it." It proclaimed the beauty, and did not hide the craftsman. But the impious man saw the heavens "declaring the glory of God" badly—not in words, but in the beauty of the creation; for the heaven never uttered a voice, but it sends forth a testimony more energetic than a voice through its propriety. And does the silent heaven declare the glory of God? It does indeed. For do not the silent Scriptures speak, and do not the elements of God, while silent, declare? For you have received the taste of piety; from the taste, take the whole of the truth. Consider the portion of the impious man, how he stumbles from the very things from which the righteous man is justified. He sees the moon, and worships; he sees the stars, and venerates; he sees the sea, and deifies. Those of the Babylonian furnace, who entered into it, with their saving and beautiful confession, praised God through the works, saying: "Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord." It was sufficient, then, having said this voice, to cease the hymn. For God does not rest in the length of hymns, but in the intention of those who hymn him. Therefore, by saying "All the works," everything was included, and there was no need for other addition. But since they were not proclaiming themselves, but were hymning God, and through the hymn were instructing the Chaldeans who were standing by, the hymn necessarily traverses the whole of the creation, that the deluded Chaldeans might learn what is being hymned, and who the things are that hymn.
But since the discourse has cast us into much contemplation, leaving that for now, let us return to the matter at hand. The younger son "traveled into a far country," and spent his substance badly, "and he began to be in want." For the rich have become poor and hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good thing. For the Lord will not withhold good things from those walking in simplicity. "He began to be in want." And he approached one of the rulers of that country, and he sent him to feed swine. See the depth of the ancient nobility; see the humiliation of the one who had separated himself from piety. He was given to feed swine—that is, to wallow in pleasures and sins; for what mud is to swine, that is sin to those who wallow in it. For this reason, the Savior, hinting at those living in impurity and wallowing in sins like mud, said: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine." He was feeding swine, "and he desired to be filled with the pods that the swine were eating; and no one was giving to him." Attend here precisely: he who separates himself from piety does not have the enjoyment even of the pleasures themselves, but is subjected to need, and is condemned to poverty, so that he does not even have abundance of the evils he has chosen. "For the foolish man," he says, "will die in want." He likens, therefore, the pleasures in the world to pods; for the pod contains much roughness, but little sweet[ness...]
And the entirety of this life is yoked with toil rather than pleasure. A For the days of our years in them are seventy years, and if they be more, they are labor and sorrow (Ps. LXXXIX, 10). Finally, penury instructed him, and his own thoughts turned him; for it is written, *Your defection shall instruct you, and your wickedness shall reprove you* (Jer. II, 19). And having turned to himself, he said (Luke XV, 17). It is well said, "to himself." For when we sin, we are outside of ourselves and act senselessly, carried away beyond our own proper reasonings; but when we proceed justly, we return into ourselves. Having turned to himself, he said. Here, note carefully how truthfully this is said. For physicians apply remedies that are foreign and alien, but the medicines of our life we possess from ourselves. Having turned to himself. He did not use an alien medicine, but his own, from the storehouse of nature; he used it for salvation, and said: "How many hirelings in my father’s house abound with bread, while I perish here with hunger?" The divine Scripture calls those who are entirely devoted to righteousness and piety "sons," but "hirelings" those who do not have the complete affection toward it, nor in the exercises of life do they fully care for things that are of God; but they understand the good, indeed, and love the Word, yet they do not apply their whole soul to it. And to these, indeed, who are entirely burning with love and are imbued with piety, God bestows a reward according to the ratio of their purpose. Justly, therefore, did he say: "How many hirelings of my father abound with bread, while I perish with hunger!" I will return to my father; I will return, just as he said: "Turn, my soul, into thy rest" (Ps. CXIV, 7). And I will say, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee (Luke XV, 18), and I am no longer worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hirelings." Other are the words of one repenting, and other the gifts of one receiving repentance. He who comes to repentance does not imagine the kingdom of heaven, nor judge himself worthy of eternal life, but only prays to be delivered from hell. He, therefore, expects small things, but God bestows upon him the great benefits of His riches. B But, O miracle! He was only thinking of repentance, and the father immediately anticipated him with his kindness; he did not wait until he could receive the words of confession, but anticipated the petition, according to that saying: "Before thou callest upon me, I will say, Behold I am here" (Isai. LVIII, 9). He saw the son coming from afar, and ran to him. Do you see how clemency anticipates repentance? Therefore, David, when he had driven away the disease of sin with the medicine of repentance, knowing that God anticipates the sinner, asks Him, saying: "Arise to meet me, and behold" (Ps. LVIII, 6), that I am coming to Thee sincerely, and truly embrace repentance. The father received the son; but he said to the father: "I have sinned; I am no longer worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hirelings." Here the father does not address him, nor does he answer him, but says to his servants: "Bring forth the first robe" (Luke XV, 22). What does that riddle mean? The penitent prays for many things, yet obtains no answer, but by deed he sees the clemency. Hence we perceive that our repentance is expressed in words, but God’s kindness in deeds. "Bring forth to him the first robe," which he lost through the transgression: "Give him also sandals." Why? Because the serpent fights against those who sin, according to that: "It shall watch my head, and thou shalt lie in wait for his heel" (Gen. III, 15). Lest the pernicious serpent approach to a bare foot, and lest he again pour out the poison of sin against him who has been freed from sin, he adds sandals to him for protection. For unless he receives sandals, he cannot tread "upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy" (Luke X, 19). Therefore, Paul, arming [us] against the bites of the serpent, was just then crying out: "I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve, so your senses may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (II Cor. XI, 3). C But here, a certain new spectacle arises, namely, that celebrated question: many argue against the creation. Why, they say, was the serpent in paradise? Why did the tree bear such a great harvest of evils? Why did the Creator plant such a tree? How would it not be absurd, when a gardener cares to remove contrary seeds and alien herbs from his own seeds, and to guard his land from harmful things, that God, who established such a great and wonderful paradise, should have prepared a tree from which such a great harvest of evils was to arise? The divine Paul leads us to this argument when he says: "I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve, so your senses may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." What then, brethren? Leaving behind many things that are examined in detail and are superfluous, let us come to a summary. God made all things good, and not simply good, but "very good" (Gen. I, 31). For this addition declares the highest goodness of all His works. God therefore gives to Adam a wealth of things, their use, [and] authority, that he might enjoy paradise and rule over visible things. "Let us make," He says, "man to our image and likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts and cattle, and all the earth" (Gen. I, 26). Here He gave authority over paradise; He gave the delights and the use of the fruits. He was, therefore, established as king, having authority over visible things and the use of paradise. There was need, therefore, that a commandment be given to Adam, which would exercise his soul in obedience. But many say: "Did God not know that Adam was going to transgress? Why, therefore, did He give a law to him who was going to transgress?" I ask your love to contend with me, as there is need of much labor to refute this; for here we are defending the divine formation and creation. He made man, [and] gives him the use of everything, commands him to eat of everything. If the commandment were narrow, if He allowed him to eat few things and ordered him to abstain from many, the transgression could be excused, because such a narrow use of things would give occasion to the will to commit prevarication. But if there was a great abundance of things, and the fewest things were prohibited, why did he not honor the Benefactor through obedience? Verily, one could object that He indeed gave an abundance of things, but that the beauty of other trees was not as great. For it was "fair to look upon, and good to taste" (Gen. III, 6). Therefore, that God might cut off this lovely excuse also, the same beauty which He gave to this tree, He bestowed likewise upon all the others. For Moses says: "And God caused to grow forth every tree fair to look upon, and sweet for eating" (Gen. II, 9). Why, therefore, was the commandment given? That he might learn that he was subject to both the law and the Lord. Why did He give this commandment, and not another? There was no other exercise of obedience. For what should God have said to Adam? "You shall not steal"? Whose goods would he have stolen? What law should He have given? "You shall not kill"? Whom would he have killed? "You shall not commit adultery"? With whose wife? "You shall not covet"? Whose property? There was no matter for a commandment; the world was not yet, nor the confusion of the world that now exists. Should it have been said, "You shall not calumniate"? What judicial forum was there then? What accusers? What accused? He gives, therefore, a commandment with a view to the present use of fruit, so that man might have the abundance of all things, [and] abstain from this one; so that while he enjoyed all things, he might have before him the authority prohibiting the use of that tree; not because that tree was evil, but because the transgression was wicked. For just as the law of nature wants a virgin to be joined in legitimate marriage; if any virgin, either against the will of her father or by forestalling the time of marriage, gives herself to licentiousness, she is punished with unavoidable penalties; not because she did anything different from what other virgins do, but because against the law and her father's pleasure she gave herself to sin; and is punished not for the nature of the thing, but for the manner of the transgression: so also does Adam become subject to punishment, not because he took something forbidden by its own nature, but because he took something prohibited by the commandment. D You complain? When you wish to examine the history of ancient things or the laws, do you not take up old commentaries and learn the words, both those which pertain to the accusation and those which pertain to the defense and excuse, what is said by the judge and by him who renders a calculation; and so you take care to recall to your memory those things which were deleted by oblivion? Read, therefore, the commentaries of ancient history. When you sit
A as judge of the truth, or rather, when the Physician of our own transgressions comes to the one accused in the guise of a friend, what does He say to him? "Adam, where are you?" And what did Adam say? "I heard the sound of You, and I hid, for I am naked." What then of Him who knows all things? He feigns ignorance and says: "And who told you that you are naked, unless you ate from the tree from which I commanded you alone not to eat?" He B shows that he had received an abundance of nearly all things, and that it was not the narrowness of enjoyment that brought him to transgression. What then does the accused say to these things? "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me." Adam assigns the sin to the woman, and you, do you describe the accusation to the tree? The accused could not lie; he finds no other escape outside the truth; he did not impute the cause to the Creator, but he accused the woman: and you, do you accuse things whose power you do not know? And what does God say to Eve? "Why have you done this?" But she, in response to the questioning, declares the cause: "The serpent deceived me." He struck at the creation, did he calumniate the Creator? She did not say, "Why did You create us?" or, "Why did You forbid us the tree?" The one subjected to the charges finds nothing with which to lie. For it is a common habit for those accused to invent even things that do not exist to avoid the charges. C The one subjected to the charges, therefore, found no other escape; and you, do you offer in accusation of God things that the convicts themselves did not offer? But I shall bring the argument back again to the subject at hand. "Adam, where are you?" Since He saw that the mouths of those who commit sin are stopped, and the sinner has no boldness, He opens to him a path of apology in the guise of questioning. Having transgressed, I hid; having heard of Your loving-kindness, O Master, I came forward to the apology. And behold the Judge of justice. He does not straightaway examine the one who sinned, but the one who was deceived; and reasonably so; for the court would have been more burdensome if He had first touched those responsible. But He begins from the one who was able to find even a small apology, because he had received deception from another person. From the man, therefore, He proceeds to the woman, and says: "Why have you done this?" And she says to the Master: "The serpent deceived me." The serpent deceived? There would have been room for deception had not the commandment, going before, barred the way of error; had I not been beforehand in saying, "On the day that you eat of the tree, you shall die by death," there would have been room for deception. Why did you not follow the word of God, but did you receive that of the deception? Thus, the Creator was blameless, and the transgressor responsible. But let us return to the subject at hand. The examination of these trespasses proceeds from the one deceived to the one who deceived, but the sentence proceeds to the author D of the evils. First, the divine justice carries the vote against him. For it is not brought against the man, nor straightaway against the woman, but against the serpent. And behold the long-suffering of justice. God does not call the serpent to examination; for He does not wish to carry the cause over to another, nor to find another escape. What then [does He say] to him? "Cursed are you above all the beasts of the earth." The serpent was a visible instrument, but the devil was the one deceiving invisibly through the serpent. For what reason is the punishment [inflicted] against the instrument, and does divine justice not proceed against the author of the wickedness? It proceeds against the sin, and against the instrument of sin. You know that even for a bull that does not possess reason, if it gores, God defines death as the penalty, and although it does not possess reason, He punishes the impulse itself entirely. Thus, therefore, and here, He pronounces judgment against the serpent, showing that if the instrument of sin is punished in this way, how much more so the one who acted. For this reason the blessed Isaiah, well understanding this threat against the serpent, says: "And it shall be in the last days, God will bring the holy and great and strong sword against the dragon, the fleeing serpent, against the dragon the crooked serpent, and He shall slay the dragon on that day." He calls the devil a dragon, and a crooked serpent, the very prince of the demons. Thus at any rate does the Savior also say: "Behold, I have given you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions." And so that you might not suppose these to be visible things, He added: "And over all the power of the enemy." But when you hear "dragon" and "serpent," do not suppose a root of wickedness, as the Manichaeans say. For there was not a root of evil, nor a nature of wickedness, but an inclination of lawlessness. Do you see, he says, how the Scripture called him a serpent and a dragon, and as if it were introducing some foreign nature of wickedness? But these are the words of the impious, empty and vain and possessing no reason. For when the Lord says to men: "Serpents, broods of vipers," He does not rail against their nature, but contests their intent. Thus, one must not be persuaded by expressions, but be instructed by the thoughts.
3. But they contend again, and seek another question. Why, he says, did He call the tree [the tree of] the knowledge of good and evil, if the divine writing did not wish to make known a nature of such a kind in the plant? Do not falsely accuse the truth simply, O man. For the tree of good and evil did not generate a nature, but it brought an occasion; and it was called by such a name, not because it had this by nature, but because it accomplished this according to the decision. For what did the tasting teach Adam? That it is good to obey God, and evil to disobey God. And this is the knowledge of good and evil, and nothing else at all. For what knowledge of goods did he find upon looking up straightaway? What other good did he see? Almsgiving? For what poor were there there? But what did he see? That philanthropy is good? For what occasion of philanthropy did he find? What then did he find? That it is good to obey, and evil to disobey the Benefactor. Who makes these things clear? The Scripture says: "If it was reported to you, O man, what is good, or what the Lord seeks from you, other than to fear the Lord and your God?" Do you see that the fear of God is good, but to disobey God is evil? "The heaven shuddered," he says, "and the earth was amazed. Because my people have committed two evil things: they forsook Me, the fountain of living water," and the rest. Why then, he says, did He say, "Do not touch the tree, from which if you eat, you are going to know through the transgression the good and the evil"? Why? I will clarify for you and give a brief account. It is always the habit of divine Scripture to give such names to a matter as the occasions themselves might bring. What do I say? Isaac dug a well; the Philistines came and fought over the well, and made the well their own, enjoying the labors of others. What then did Isaac do? He called the name of the pit, "Enmity." The pit did not cause the enmity, but the matter concerning it caused the enmity, and for this reason it became a "Well of Enmity." He made another well, and this too was taken away; and he called it "Well of Injustice," not because the well was of injustice, but because the injustice had its material centered on the well. Likewise, also, the servants of Isaac and of Abner, concerning the fountain, as those who understand the Scripture know, contending with one another, plotted against each other, and the place was called "Partion of the Plotters." Again, here, the place did not generate the plot, but the occasion gave a name to the place. Thus, therefore, also in the case of Adam. Since from the tasting he was henceforth about to receive experience that it is good to obey, and evil to disobey, the tree received the name from the occasion. But these things are to this extent. May it be for us to flee from that tree, and run to the tree of life, to the plant of the cross, which blossomed with the fruits of righteousness, which sprouted virginity and brought forth holiness, and produced different fruits, teeming with many and diverse benefits, in which [index: entries preserved]