Joshua 4

Because the Holy Spirit brought together these articles of faith, contained in the depths of the Scriptures, into one through the twelve Apostles as through the most steadfast witnesses: hence it is that the aforesaid articles were collected into the one Creed of the Apostles. And therefore, according to the Apostles who composed it, they can be called twelve articles, because each Apostle, for the building up of the faith, set down one article as one living stone: which the Holy Spirit rightly prefigured in the twelve men who drew twelve stones from the bed of the Jordan for the construction of the altar of the Lord.

The people of the Hebrews, as we learn, after many sufferings, and after accomplishing their weary course in the desert, did not enter the land of promise until it had first been brought, with Joshua for its guide and the pilot of its life, to the passage of the Jordan. But it is clear that Joshua also, who set up the twelve stones in the stream, was anticipating the coming of the twelve disciples, the ministers of Baptism.

The twelve patriarchs destined to become twelve tribes were arranged to be a type and pattern of the number of the apostles. So were the twelve fountains in the desert and twelve stones taken from the bed of the Jordan. We leave it to the student of the law to find deeper proof of all this.

Also, twelve stones from Jordan's bed, Left dry when waters backward flowed, He raised and firmly set in place, The type of Christ's apostles twelve.

God ordered twelve stones to be taken from the Jordan, and specified why, for he says, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, what do these stones mean? Then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over," and thus the ark was saved and all the people. Shall we not then record with images the saving passion and miracles of Christ our God, so that when my son asks me, "What is this?" I may say that God the Word became man, and that through him not only Israel passed through the Jordan, but the whole human race regained its original happiness? Through him, human nature rose from the lowest depths to the most exalted heights, and in him sat on the Father's throne.

Images are of two kinds: either they are words written in a book … or else they are material images such as the twelve stones which he commanded to be taken from the Jordan for a second memorial (such a mystery, truly the greatest ever to befall the faithful people!) of the carrying of the ark and the parting of the waters. Therefore we now set up images in remembrance of valiant men, that we may zealously desire to follow their example. Either remove these images altogether, and reject the authority of him who commanded them to be made, or else accept them in the manner and with the esteem which they deserve.

Concerning those, indeed, who crossed the Red Sea, the Apostle said that "all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." But concerning those who crossed the Jordan, we too can declare in like manner that "all were baptized" into Jesus in the Jordan, so that the things which are related to have been done in the Jordan hold the pattern of the sacrament which is celebrated through baptism. But that which is written—"and the people hastened and crossed the Jordan. And it came to pass, when all the people had passed over, the ark of the Lord's Covenant also passed over"—does not seem to me to have been added idly by the Holy Spirit, when it said that "the people hastened to cross over." Whence I too judge that for us as well, when we come to the saving baptism and receive the sacraments of the word of God, the matter must not be conducted idly nor sluggishly, but we must hasten and press on, until we "cross over" all things. For to "cross over" everything is to fulfill everything that is commanded. Let us hasten therefore to "cross over," that is, to fulfill first what is written: "blessed are the poor in spirit," so that, having laid aside all arrogance and taken up the humility of Christ, we may deserve to arrive at the promised beatitude. But even when we have fulfilled this, we must not stand still nor cease, but the other things that follow must also be crossed over, so that we may "hunger and thirst after righteousness." We must cross over also what follows, that in this world we may "mourn." Quickly too the rest must be crossed over, that we may become "meek" and may deserve to be "peacemakers" and through this may be able to hear ourselves called "sons of God." We must also hasten to cross over the weight of persecutions by the virtue of patience. And when we seek after these several things, which pertain to the glory of virtue, not sluggishly nor slackly but with all urgency and speed, this seems to me to be "to cross the Jordan" with haste. But when we have crossed over and have been able to obtain what we ought to obtain, again there succeeds for us the care of diligence and caution, lest perhaps, advancing too negligently, "our steps be poured out" by some unforeseen slip, as the prophet also says: "my steps had almost been poured out." Nor ought our solicitude to be slacker in preserving virtues than in acquiring them.

Or do these things not seem to you to be indicated in this, when it is said that: "forty thousand men girded"—or "equipped"—"crossed over to battle in the sight of the Lord, to storm the city of Jericho"? Let us inquire who these are whom Scripture calls "girded" or "equipped." I do not dare to presume anything of myself and to declare it; rather, let us be taught in such matters by the letters of the Apostle. Who these "girded" ones are, let us learn as Paul expounds it. Hear what he himself says: "be therefore girded as to your loins in truth." You see, then, that Paul knows those to be "girded" who are girt about with the belt of "truth." Therefore for us too truth ought to be our belt, if indeed we have kept the sacrament of this warfare and of the belt. For if truth is our belt, by which we are girded for the warfare of Christ, whenever we speak falsehood and a lie proceeds from our mouth, we are ungirded from the warfare of Christ and are loosed from the baldric of truth. We are, therefore, "girded" if we are "in truth," but if in falsehood, ungirded. But let us rather imitate those "forty thousand girded men going forth to war in the sight of the Lord," and let us always "be girt about in truth." But I do not even pass idly over this, which Scripture added, that they were "girded in the sight of the Lord." For it is not enough for you to be seen among men to keep the truth. For it is possible to deceive men and to seem truthful, but you are not on that account "girded in truth," unless you have kept the truth also "in the sight of the Lord," that is, not only those things which men hear by the voice, but also those which God perceives in the heart. Let there be nothing "false on the tongue," let there be nothing feigned in the heart, according to what the prophet says of such men: "who speak peace with their neighbor, but evils are in their hearts." Free from all these, then, ought he to be who wishes "to go forth girded in the sight of the Lord to storm Jericho," because in crossing the river Jordan we cross over to combats and wars. Do you wish again to learn what battles, what wars await us after baptism? Learn not from me, but again from the Apostle Paul himself; he himself teaches you, saying: "for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Patterns and figures are the things which are written. For thus says the Apostle: "for all these things happened to them in figure, but they were written for our sake, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." If therefore "they were written for our sake," come, why do you delay? Let us go forth to war, that the first city of this world, malice, may be stormed by us, and the proud walls of sin be destroyed. You look about, perhaps, by what road you must advance, what field of contest must be sought out. It will perhaps seem new to you, what I am about to say, but nevertheless it is true: seek nothing outside, beyond yourself. Within you is the battle that you are to wage; within is that evil edifice which must be overthrown; your enemy "proceeds from" your "heart." This word is not mine, but Christ's; for hear him saying: "for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies." Do you see how great and what kind of an army of your enemies proceeds against you "from" your "heart"? These must be routed by us in the first slaughter, these laid low in the first line of battle. If we can overthrow their walls and cut them down to utter destruction, so that we "leave none of them" who may report back or "breathe," if now none of these bursts forth alive again in our thoughts, then that rest will be given to us through Jesus, so that "each one may rest under his own vine and under his own fig tree, when there is no longer any who may terrify the children of Israel."

Nevertheless, "forty thousand armed men, girded in the sight of the Lord for war," "cross" the Jordan, and then Scripture says that: "on that day the Lord exalted Jesus in the sight of the whole race of the children of Israel." This exaltation may indeed have belonged to the son of Nave, that as leader of the people he might be held magnificent among those whom he ruled; but let us see how our Jesus, my Lord, the leader and ruler of this people, "is exalted in the sight of the whole race of the children of Israel." I judge that he himself has always been "exalted" and lofty with the Father. But this is what is needed, that "God" may "exalt" him "in" our "sight." And he "is exalted in" my "sight" when the sublimity and loftiness of his divinity is opened to me. When, then, was his lofty divinity revealed to me? Then, assuredly, when I "crossed the Jordan" and was armed with the various defenses of the sacraments for the battles.

"And they feared Jesus," it says, "as they had feared Moses." Everyone who is under the law "fears Moses"; but when he has crossed over from the law to the gospel, the observance being changed, the fear too is changed, as the Apostle also says: "for I through the law am dead to the law, that I may live to God; I have been crucified together with Christ. Yet I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me."

"In that day the Lord exalted Joshua." The Lord exalted Joshua, for as he increased in age his strength became obvious [for all to see]. They rightly feared the son of Nun with a lawful fear as is fitting for service. And we rightly revere our Jesus with holy fear who stands by us for all eternity.

After they had crossed over the Jordan, the waters returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before. For the mystical Jordan also increases when the full number of the faithful enters in. Accordingly, we read, "Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are ripe for the harvest," and again, "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few." But he does not simply say "harvest" but "wheat," according to what they have in the Septuagint. For this is a symbol of nourishment.

But when do they come to the crossing of the Jordan? For I have noted that this too was marked not without cause, so that the time also might be distinguished. "On the tenth day," it says, "of the first month." This is the very day on which the mystery of the lamb was commanded in Egypt. "On the tenth day of the first month" these things were celebrated in Egypt; "on the tenth day of the first month" they enter the land of promise; which seems to me very blessed, that on the very same day on which one has escaped the errors of the age, he should also deserve to enter the land of promise — that is, on this day on which we live in this age. For the whole of our present life is signified in a single day. And therefore we are taught through this mystery not to defer our acts and works of righteousness to the morrow, but today, that is, so long as we live, so long as we remain in this world, to hasten to fulfill all things that pertain to perfection, and so at last we shall be able "on the tenth day" "of the first month" to enter "the land of promise," that is, the blessedness of perfection. But also very many other things, if you observe them diligently, you will find recapitulated onto this day by the record of the Scriptures. Concerning each of these, that our discourse may not now be extended more than we wish, this must be understood about the fact that this day is so often repeated: that, although there is for us one general perfection, nevertheless each individual species of the virtues which we undertake to unfold, if we are able to complete it wholly and perfectly, has its own perfection proper to that very virtue. For example, if one who is prone to anger desires to attain the virtue of gentleness, without doubt he first stumbles in many things, until by long practice he converts the habit of much time into nature. And when he has obtained what he set out to do, he indeed attains the perfection of gentleness, yet not on that account does he also possess the perfection of all the virtues. So, then, through the individual virtues many perfections are found. But that general perfection is the one which contains in itself the sum of all the perfections. For this reason, therefore, many things done are recapitulated onto this one day, that they may signify many perfections tending toward one end, just as the prophet also says: "my soul has journeyed much"; and again: "while they say to me day by day: where is your God? these things I remembered, and I poured out my soul within me; for I shall pass over into the place of the wondrous tabernacle, even to the house of God, in the voice of exultation and confession, the sound of them that feast." For after the labors and temptations which we shall have endured in the wilderness of this world, after the crossing of the Red Sea, after the streams of the Jordan, if we shall be worthy to enter "the land of promise," we shall arrive with gladness and exultation, following the priests of the Lord Christ and our Savior, to whom is "glory and power unto the ages of ages." Amen!