Luke § 28

(in Orat. cont. Sabell.) This is not then the word of man, but the Word of God, manifesting His own birth from the Father, for He is the Lord Who is born of the Lord alone. But fear not the duality of Persons, for they are not separate in nature.

Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? As if he were saying in other words: Why do you boast of producing the leaves of correct confession, you who show no fruits of good works? From which the Apostle, separating the precious from the vile, that is, the good treasure from the bad, the good tree from the bad, the perfect disciple of a good teacher from a hypocrite, the seeing guide from the blind one, said: "But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4). Therefore, through the speech of the mouth, the Lord signifies everything that we bring forth from the heart by deed, word, or thought, which are more than what is nakedly and openly said to men before his eyes. For it is also the custom of the Scriptures to put words in place of things. Hence the Psalmist says: "Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation'" (Psalm 35). And Hezekiah: "There was nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them" (Isaiah 39). Surely he revealed to the Chaldeans the secrets of things, not words. Likewise, the Apostle: "And no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12). For as he meant to say, no one perceives the Lord Jesus by understanding, no one embraces him by will, except through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Christ subsequently adds force to his pronouncement by clearly showing that good speech without the additional attestation of deeds is of no advantage at all. He asks, "And why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I say?" To call upon the Lord seems to be the gift of a good treasure, the fruit of a good tree. "For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." If anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord resists the Lord's commands by living perversely, it is evident that the good that the tongue has spoken has not been brought out of the good treasure in his heart. It was not the root of a fig tree but that of a thorn bush that produced the fruit of such a confession—a conscience, that is, bristling with vices, and not one filled with the sweetness of the love of the Lord.

Lest any one should vainly flatter himself with the words, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, as if words only and not rather works were required of a Christian, our Lord adds the following, But why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? As if He said, Why do ye boast of sending forth the leaves of a right confession, and show forth no fruit of good works.

Third, deceitful pretense is rebuked, when he adds: Why do you call me: Lord? namely by confession of the mouth, and do not do what I say, by omission of good works. For the display of reverence on the lips is false unless there is equally present the exhibition of obedience in deed: whence concerning such persons, Isaiah twenty-nine: "This people draws near with their mouth and glorifies me with their lips, but their heart is far from me"; and Matthew fifteen: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me"; and Titus one: "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny him." And so there is a contradiction in them, because the word indicates goodness in the heart, and the deed shows malice in action. Such persons do not deceive the Lord, but they deceive themselves, according to that passage in James one: "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"; whence Matthew seven: "Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."

I agree with Mr W. R. Childe that it is no use to say 'Lord, Lord', if we do not do what Christ tells us: that, indeed, is one of the reasons why I think an aesthetic religion of 'flowers and music' insufficient. My reason for thinking that a mere statement of even the highest ethical principles is not enough is precisely that to know these things is not necessarily to do them, and if Christianity brought no healing to the impotent will, Christ's teaching would not help us.

Our Gnostic then alone, having grown old in the Scriptures, and maintaining apostolic and ecclesiastic orthodoxy in doctrines, lives most correctly in accordance with the Gospel, and discovers the proofs, for which he may have made search (sent forth as he is by the Lord), from the law and the prophets. For the life of the Gnostic, in my view, is nothing but deeds and words corresponding to the tradition of the Lord. But "all have not knowledge. For I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren," says the apostle, "that all were under the cloud, and partook of spiritual meat and drink;" clearly affirming that all who heard the word did not take in the magnitude of knowledge in deed and word. Wherefore also he added: "But with all of them He was not well pleased." Who is this? He who said, "Why do you call Me Lord, and do not the will of My Father?" That is the Saviour's teaching, which to us is spiritual food, and drink that knows no thirst, the water of gnostic life.

And again, those also are likewise unclean that part the hoof, but do not ruminate. For these point out the heretics, who indeed go upon the name of the Father and the Son, but are incapable of triturating and grinding down the clear declaration of the oracles, and who, besides, perform the works of righteousness coarsely and not with precision, if they perform them at all. To such the Lord says, "Why will ye call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

"Why call ye me Lord, Lord," He says, "and do not the things which I say?" For "the people that loveth with their lips, but have their heart far away from the Lord," is another people, and trust in another, and have willingly sold themselves to another; but those who perform the commandments of the Lord, in every action "testify," by doing what He wishes, and consistently naming the Lord's name; and "testifying" by deed to Him in whom they trust, that they are those "who have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." "He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

But Lordship both in name and reality belongs only to the Highest Nature.

It is fitting, then, not only to be called Christians, but to be so in reality. For it is not the being called so, but the being really so, that renders a man blessed. To those who indeed talk of the bishop, but do all things without him, will He who is the true and first Bishop, and the only High Priest by nature, declare, "Why call ye Me Lord, and do not the things which I say? " For such persons seem to me not possessed of a good conscience, but to be simply dissemblers and hypocrites.

For this reason the Lord also said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." And, "Take heed to yourselves, lest perchance your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and worldly cares." And, "Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning, and ye like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He returns from the wedding, that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open to Him. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when He cometh, shall find so doing." And again, "The servant who knows his Lord's will, and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." And, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" And again, "But if the servant say in his heart, The Lord delayeth, and begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken, his Lord will come in a day on which he does not expect Him, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites." All such passages demonstrate the independent will of man, and at the same time the counsel which God conveys to him, by which He exhorts us to submit ourselves to Him, and seeks to turn us away from [the sin of] unbelief against Him, without, however, in any way coercing us.

In like manner, too, those are unclean which have the double hoof but do not ruminate: this is plainly an indication of all heretics, and of those who do not meditate on the words of God, neither are adorned with works of righteousness; to whom also the Lord says, "Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say to you? " For men of this stamp do indeed say that they believe in the Father and the Son, but they never meditate as they should upon the things of God, neither are they adorned with works of righteousness; but, as I have already observed, they have adopted the lives of swine and of dogs, giving themselves over to filthiness, to gluttony, and recklessness of all sorts. Justly, therefore, did the apostle call all such "carnal" and "animal," —[all those, namely], who through their own unbelief and luxury do not receive the Divine Spirit, and in their various phases cast out from themselves the life-giving Word, and walk stupidly after their own lusts: the prophets, too, spake of them as beasts of burden and wild beasts; custom likewise has viewed them in the light of cattle and irrational creatures; and the law has pronounced them unclean.

But salvation is in this, that you do His will of whom you have conceived a love and affection through the gift of God; lest that saying of His be addressed to you which He spoke, 'Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?' [Luke 6:46]

For on this account our Jesus Himself said to one who often called Him Lord, but did none of the things which He prescribed, 'Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?' For it is not saying that will profit any one, but doing. By all means, therefore, is there need of good works.

This being the case, who will He clearly be that said, "Why callest thou me Lord, Lord? " Will it be he who had as yet never been called on, because never yet revealed; or He who was ever regarded as the Lord, because known from the beginning-even the God of the Jews? Who, again, could possibly have added, "and do not the things which I say? "Could it have been he who was only then doing his best to teach them? Or He who from the beginning had addressed to them His messages both by the law and the prophets? He could then upbraid them with disobedience, even if He had no ground at any time else for His reproof.

He teaches that the foundation of the virtues is obedience of heavenly instructions, whereby this house of ours cannot be shaken by the flow of desires, by the assault of spiritual wickedness, by the rain of the world or the dark arguments of heretics.

Or, He teaches that the obedience to heavenly precepts is the foundation of all virtue, by means of which this our house can be moved neither by the torrent of pleasures, nor by the violence of spiritual wickedness, neither by the storms of this world, nor by the cloudy disputations of heretics; hence it follows, But the flood came, &c.

Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house. The Lord has spoken much above about openly good or evil things and has discussed much about truly and hypocritically good things, by which three persons I think the whole class of humans is comprehended. He concludes his whole speech with a simultaneously terrifying and delightful parable, by which he likens some listeners of the word to the devil, others to Christ, each of whom never ceases building his own house in the subjection of men throughout the whole time of this age. Therefore, whoever hears and does Christ's words will be compared to Christ. Because just as Christ builds, instructs, and governs one universal church for himself out of various persons, dedicating it sometime to eternal life, so too does the useful listener, according to his own measure, advance towards the heights through various pursuits of virtues, building for himself a dwelling of eternal habitation, in the present busily working to shape, polish, and bind together the stones with the glue of charity, but in the future rejoicing in the dedication with Christ.

The Lord indicates what the true distinction between good and bad fruits is by continuing under another figure of speech. He says, "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house." Now this man building a house is the mediator between God and humankind, the man Christ Jesus, who deigned to build and consecrate a beloved and holy house for himself, namely, the church, in which to remain forever.

Everyone who comes to me, etc. After he instructed in the prudence of discerning, here he invites to diligence in acting, and this under a twofold metaphor, in the first of which he commends the obedient: and in the second he reproaches the negligent. Concerning the commendation of the obedient person, he first sets forth the act of the obedient person: second, the manner: third, the fruit. As to the act, therefore, of the truly obedient person, he says: Everyone who comes to me, namely by believing faithfully, and hears my words, by understanding devoutly, and does them, namely by fulfilling them in deed; I will show you whom he is like. From this it is gathered that it belongs to the truly obedient person first to come through faith, by believing faithfully: concerning which coming, John six: "No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Thus the little ones come, according to that passage in Matthew nineteen: "Let the little children come to me." Then to hear, by understanding keenly: Ecclesiasticus three: "A good ear will hear wisdom with all desire"; James one: "Let every man be swift to hear," etc. Third, it belongs to the truly obedient person to fulfill effectively; whence Deuteronomy thirty: "The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." Otherwise you will not be justified before the Lord, because, as is said in Romans two, "the doers of the law shall be justified."

But the advantage which arises from the keeping of the commandments, or the loss from disobedience, he shows as follows; Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, he is like to a man who built his house upon a rock, &c.

In a certain place in the Gospel, the Lord says that the prudent hearer of His word ought to be like a man who, wishing to build a house, digs deeply until he comes to the foundation of stability on the rock, and there establishes in security what he builds against the violence of the flood; so that, when the flood comes, it may be rather beaten back by the strength of the building than bring ruin on that house by the force of its pressure. Let us regard the Scripture of God to be, as it were, the field where we wish to build something. Let us not be slothful, nor be content with the surface; let us dig deeply until we come to the rock: "And that rock was Christ."

(in Princ. Prov.) But lay your foundations upon a rock, that is, lean upon the faith of Christ, so as to persevere immoveable in adversity, whether it come from man or God.

He who digs deep and laid the foundation upon the rock. When foundations are given in the plural in the mystery of the Church, they signify the teachers, of whom it is said: "Her foundation is in the holy mountains" (Psalm 86). But when the foundation is given in the singular, Christ Himself is expressed as the teacher of teachers and the foundation of all foundations. Of whom it is said: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3). Therefore, this foundation was laid not upon the earth, but upon a rock by the wise architect because the minds of sublime men were established by Christ, not in earthly desires, but in His invincible faith, hope, and charity. But the rock (he says) was Christ (1 Cor. 10). He who digs deep because by the precepts of humility he tears out all earthly things from the hearts of the faithful, lest they serve God for some lowly or temporal advantage. Morally, the foundations of the house are the intentions of good conversation, which the perfect hearer of the word, having cleared away by Christian humility the debris of vain and fragile thoughts, firmly inserts in the fulfillment of Christ's commandments. This he does, namely, with Christ specially cooperating within himself, which Christ generally does in the universal Church. Rejoicing with the Psalmist: "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, etc." (Psalm 40).

However, when the flood came, it struck that house, and it could not move it. For it was founded upon a rock. The flood of the river, which elsewhere he calls the gates of hell, saying: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. XVI); it is the same thing of which he mentioned above: "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil" (Luke VI). These firm corners of the Church, although they rush upon them, could not, however, destroy them. Because they rejoiced on that day and exulted, thus encouraging each other against the rage of the waves: "Behold, we bless those who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord" (James V). And again: "The river's rush makes glad the city of God, the Most High sanctified his tabernacle. God is in her midst; she shall not be moved" (Psalm XLV). But also, according to the laws of tropology, the separate houses of ours are daily beaten by either unclean spirits, or wicked men, or by the very restlessness of their own mind or body, and they are leaned as much as they trust in their own strength. But as much as they adhere to that invincible rock, they cannot be shaken.

"He dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock," for he strove to root out completely whatever base drives he found in the hearts of his faithful. When the traces of earlier habits and unnecessary thoughts had been cast out, he could have a firm and unshakable dwelling place in them. He himself is the rock upon which he laid the foundation for a house of this sort. Just as in building a house nothing is to be preferred to the rock on which the foundation is laid, so holy church has its rock, namely, Christ, concealed in the depths of its heart.… "When a flood came, the stream was dashed against that house and could not shake it, for it had been founded upon the rock." The explanation is obvious: the church is often struck by distressful situations but is not overthrown. If any believers are overcome by evils, if they yield, they surely did not belong to this house. If they had taken a stand founded on the rock of faith instead of on the sand of faithlessness, they would have been absolutely incapable of ever being shaken.

The rock is Christ. He digs deep; by the precepts of humility He plucks out all earthly things from the hearts of the faithful, lest they should serve God from regard to their temporal good.

Or the foundation of the house is the resolution to live a good life, which the perfect hearer firmly lays in fulfilling the commandments of God.

A flood comes in three ways, either by unclean spirits, or wicked men, or the very restlessness of mind or body; and as far as men trust in their own strength they fall away, but as long as they cling to the immoveable rock they cannot even be shaken.

As to the manner of truly obeying, he adds a teaching by similitude concerning one who builds a house, when he subjoins: He is like a man building a house, through the progress of virtue: Proverbs 24: "Diligently cultivate your field, so that afterward you may build your house." This house indeed is a good conscience: Wisdom 8: "Entering into my house, I shall find rest with her"; Proverbs 14: "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one destroys even what has been built with her own hands." Who dug deep, through the descent of humility, according to the precept of Elisha in 4 Kings 3: "Make in the bed of this torrent ditches and ditches," namely through humility in intellect and affection alike. But to this the proud man responds with that saying of the wicked steward, below in chapter 16: "I am unable to dig, I am ashamed to beg." Against which, Isaiah 2: "Enter into the rock, and hide in the pit of the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord," etc. But he digs deeper who descends further through humility, and his building rises higher, because "he who humbles himself shall be exalted," below in chapter 18. And he laid the foundation upon the rock, through the stability of charity, according to that passage in Ephesians 3: "Rooted and grounded in charity." This charity founds upon Christ, who is the solid rock, according to that passage in Isaiah 28: "Behold, I will lay in the foundations of Sion a stone, a tested stone, a cornerstone, precious, founded in the foundation." Upon this rock charity founds, since it causes one to fulfill his commandments, according to that passage in John 14: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me." And such a one is founded in Christ: Ecclesiasticus 26: "Everlasting foundations upon solid rock, and the commandments of God in the heart of a holy woman." Ambrose: "The foundation of all virtues is obedience to the heavenly commandments." This therefore is the manner of truly obeying the divine precepts: that there be diligence in the progress of virtue, that there be depth in the descent of humility, that there be firmness in the affection of charity.

As to the fruit of true obedience, he adds: And when a flood came, etc. For the observance of the divine commandments strengthens against the assault of temptations, which he designates by the flood—as to exterior temptation from demons, according to that passage in Isaiah 8: "The Lord will bring the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of the Assyrians"; and below: "And it shall pass through Judah, overflowing and reaching even to the neck"; here he openly designates the devil; and Job 21: "How often shall the lamp of the wicked be extinguished, and a flood come upon them." He also designates temptation through the striking of the flood, when he adds: The flood struck against that house, namely as regards interior temptation, namely of fear, or sorrow, or joy, or love; Nahum 2: "The gates of the rivers are opened"; which indeed happens when temptations enter within, so that one may cry out that word of the Psalm: "Save me, O God, for the waters have come in even unto my soul." But these temptations do not prevail against the observers of the divine commandments; on account of which it is added: And it could not move it: Proverbs 10: "As a passing tempest, so the wicked shall be no more, but the just is as an everlasting foundation"; in the Psalm: "Perfect my steps in your paths, that my footsteps be not moved." But the reason for this stability is given when it is added: For it was founded upon firm rock. Hence it is said of the just man in Isaiah 22: "I will fasten him as a peg in a sure place." This fastening indeed is through charity: Romans 8: "Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? Tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?" The fruit of true obedience, therefore, is victory over exterior and interior temptation through the power of a stable foundation.

But he who has heard and not done is like a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation. The house of the devil, the world which is placed in the wicked one, is called not by the dignity of the Creator but by the magnitude of the delinquent. He builds it upon the earth because he drags those who obey him from the heavens to the earthly. He builds without a foundation because every sin does not have a foundation, so that it does not subsist by its own nature. For evil truly is without substance, which however in some way exists, coalesces in the nature of the good. Since the foundation is truly said to be from the bottom, we can also not unreasonably take the foundation as placed for the bottom. Just as hearing is said from the ear, and yet often the very ear itself is designated by the name of hearing. Therefore, just as he who sinks into a well is held by the bottom of the well, so the soul, as if it were standing in a certain place at the bottom when falling, would, if once fallen, retain itself in some measure of sin. But since it cannot be content with the sin in which it slips, while it is daily cast into worse, it does not find a bottom in the well into which it has fallen, as is figured. Hence it is well said elsewhere: When the wicked man has come into the depths of evils, he despises (Prov. XVIII). For he feigns to return because he despairs that he can be shown mercy. But when he sins more by despairing, he, as it were, removes the bottom from his well, lest he might find where he could be held. Therefore, he who hears the words of Christ and does not do them, whether initiated into the mysteries of Christ or wholly alien from Christ, because he builds himself badly, is like a foolish man of whom it is said: An enemy has done this (Matt. XIII).

Into which the river crashed, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great. It is clear that with the onset of any temptation, both the truly wicked and the falsely good soon become worse, until at last they slip into eternal punishment. Moreover, it should be said morally that each person is tempted by their own lust, drawn away and enticed. Then, when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Also, the extreme judgment at the last day can be understood through the rush of the river, when, both houses having been completed, all who exalt themselves shall be humbled, and those who humble themselves shall be exalted; and the wicked shall go, not only people but also angels who belonged to the devil's house, into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25).

The house of the devil is the world which lieth in wickedness, (1 John 5:19.) which he builds upon the earth, because those who obey him he drags down from heaven to earth; he builds without foundation, for sin has no foundation, standing not by its own nature, for evil is without substance, which yet whatever it is, grows up in the nature of good. But because the foundation is called so from fundus, we may not unfitly understand that fundamentum is placed here for fundus. As then he who is fallen into a well is kept at the bottom of the well, so the soul falling away remains stationary, as it were, at the very bottom, as long as it continues in any measure of sin. But not content with the sin into which it is fallen, while daily sinking into worse, it can find no bottom, as it were, in the well to which it may fix itself. But every kind of temptation increasing, both the really bad and the feignedly good become worse, until at last they come to everlasting punishment. Hence it follows, Against which the stream did beat vehemently. By the force of the stream may be understood the trial of the last judgment, when both houses being finished, the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. (Mat. 25:46.)

But he who hears and does not do. Here, after the commendation of the truly obedient, he adds the reproach of the negligent, setting forth first the vice of the negligent, then adding the danger, and appending the downfall. He therefore sets forth first the vice of the negligent, when he says: But he who hears and does not do, like Balaam, Numbers 24: "He said who is a hearer of the words of God, who knows the doctrine of the Most High." This one is blameworthy, which he shows through a comparison, when he adds: He is like a man building his house upon the ground without a foundation. He calls ground a place that is inconstant and easily movable, according to that word of the Psalm: "Not so the wicked, not so, but like the dust which the wind casts from the face of the earth"; Isaiah 24: "The earth shall be utterly broken, the earth shall be crushed to pieces, and it shall be taken away like the tent of one night"; Job 4: "How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation, are consumed as if by a moth." And this is because they are not "rooted in charity," but in earthly cupidity: Wisdom 4: "Adulterous plantings shall not give deep roots."

He adds the peril of the negligent person in the crashing of floods, when he adds: Against which the river crashed, that is, temptation driving forward, from which the peril of ruin threatens: Ezekiel thirteen: "Say to those who plaster the wall without mortar, that the wall shall fall. For there shall be an overflowing rain, and I will send great hailstones falling from above and a stormy wind breaking through." Of such persons, Isaiah twenty-eight: "When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, you shall be trodden down by it; whenever it passes through, it shall take you." For these are those of whom it is said below in chapter eight: "They believe for a time, and in the time of temptation they fall away"; and these are those "who have no roots." Lastly he subjoins the downfall of the negligent person, when he says: And immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great: Zechariah fourteen: "There shall be the ruin of the horse and the mule, the camel and the ass and all the beasts of burden," that is, of all men who are brutish and negligent and impious; Zephaniah one: "Thus says the Lord: I will gather man and beast, I will gather the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea; and the wicked shall have ruins, and I will destroy men from the face of the earth." Nor is this surprising, because, Proverbs four, "the way of the wicked is dark: they know not where they stumble." From the peril therefore and the censure of the negligent and the commendation of the obedient, one is sufficiently invited to diligence in what is to be done, and in this the divine teachings reach their conclusion.

Or they build upon the earth without foundation, who upon the quicksand of doubt, which relates to opinion, lay the foundation of their spiritual building, which a few drops of temptation wash away.

(Hom. 24. in Matt.) The Lord also shows us that faith profiteth a man nothing, if his manner of life be corrupt. Hence it follows, But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man, that without a foundation, built an house upon the earth, &c.