Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
The Cultivation oj God's Word
--------------------- - ------------------Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. [Mt 13:24] Then Elijah arose, a prophet burning like fire, and his word blazed like a torch [Sir 48:1]. This passage from the Book of Sirach aptly describes the prophet Elijah, who would harshly reprove erring sinners, but at the same time would set before them the word of truth. It also lets us understand several things about the task of preaching. First, it tells us that the preacher must rise above all carnal-mindedness, so that he might delight the angelic hosts; this is indicated by the words: then Elijah arose.
He must also be inflamed with charity, so that he might burn within for the salvation of all people, as we see when it says: burning like fire. Finally, he must be resplendent through a holy
I . r I manner of life, so that he might outwardly shed light on the minds of his neighbors, as we see in the following phrase: and his word blazed like a torch.
My dear friends, I am neither free from carnal desires, nor am I wholly inflamed with the fire of love, and my life is certainly far from being resplendent in holiness. Therefore, before I say anything else, let us implore our tender and compassionate God, so that according to his mercy he might sever me from worldly desires, enkindle me with love, and bestow on me the light of his holiness. Thus, forgetting my earthly passions, inflamed with divine love and shining with the splendor of holiness, I might speak with you a while for the glory of God and the salvation of our souls.
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. According to the blessed Dionysius, "the divine ray can enlighten us only by being concealed in a variety of sacred veils." So our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that it would be more beneficial for our sight-impaired race, chose in today's
The Cultivation of God's Word text to explain the marvelous work of the creation of humankind through the apt metaphor of a man sowing good seed in his field. Indeed the Lord sowed good seed in his field when, in the field which is the fabric of the world, he made humankind according to his own image and likeness [Gn I :26]. This excellent metaphor captures several dimensions of this creation: its operative principle, through the image of the man; its receptive subject, through the symbol of the field; and the intermediate act, through the sowing of good seed. First of all, the operative principle of creation is expressed when our Lord says: The kingdom o/heaven may be compared to a man. That "man," metaphorically speaking, is God. Second, the receptive subject of the creation of humankind is indicated when the passage continues with in his field. The field is the fabric of this world. Finally, the intermediate creative act is inferred in the words: sowed good seed, inasmuch as God created humankind according to his own image and likeness.
The Operative Principle of Creation: the Origin, Means, and End Let us turn to the first point. It says: The kingdom 0/ heaven mqy be compared to a man: This metaphor of "a man" indicates the operative principle of creation. Now, anything is understood truly and perfectly when one knows its origin, its means, and its end. And so, if we wish to comprehend perfectly the creation of humankind, at least insofar as the limitations of our minds permit, we must come to an understanding of our origin, our means, and our end. As we have seen, it is only then that one can arrive at a truly complete knowledge of a thing.
Now the source of creation-not simply of humankind but of the whole universe-is the operation of a power making all things supernaturally; its means is the guidance of a wisdom ordering all things harmoniously; and its end is the consummation of a mercy and a justice rendering to all things according to lheir merils. Therefore, we will firsl examiIle lhe
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-------------------creation of humankind as the act of a power which serves as its operative principle by means of the story of the man sowing good seed in his field; second we will examine the governance of wisdom as its directive intends through the story of the head of the household who brings laborers into his vineyard; and third, the consummation of mercy and justice, as creation's final end, through the story of the king settling accounts with his servants.
First of all, let us look at the creation of humanldnd insofar as it is the product of a power serving as its operative principle by means of the story of the man sowing good seed in his field.
Thus Matthew tells us: The kingdom ifheaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, but while people were asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat [13 :24-25]. The Lord sowed good seed in his field; namely, in the fabric of the world, when he created humanldnd in his own image and likeness; but an enemy, namely the devil, while people were asleep-now this refers to Adam and Eve, who were neglectful in observing the commands of God-sowed weeds, that is, vices and sins, from which were born children ofwrath [Eph 2:3]. This exposition is based on the words of the Lord himself, for the passage continues: And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable if the weeds of the field. " He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children if the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil" [Mt
13:36-39].
The second aspect, the governance of wisdom serving as creation's directive means, may be illustrated through the story of the head of the household who brings laborers into his vineyard. In Matthew we read: For the kingdom ofheaven is like a landowner who went out earry in the morning to hire laborers for his
Vineyard, and so on [20: 1-16]. This parable describes the reign of God from its beginning until its end, for it tells us that he invited workers into his vineyard at five different times; namely earry in the morning . . . at the third hour. . . the sixth hour. . . the ninth hour . .. and at the eleventh hour. He sent workers earry in the
The Cultivation oJGod's Word morning when he gave the natural law; at the third hour when he gave the written Law; at the sixth hour, when he sent prophets to teach the people; at the ninth hour when he gave the New Law, sending his apostles to preach it to every creature [Mk 16: 15]; and at the eleventh hour when, following the apostles, he sent preachers and teachers, and indeed keeps sending them, until the very end.
The third aspect, the consummation of mercy and justice, which represents creation's final end, may be seen in the story of the ruler who wished to tally his servants' accounts. Again,
Matthew tells us: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants, and so on [18:23-35]. Now in this parable, the operation of divine mercy is illustrated in the forgiveness of the debt, the work of divine justice in the condemnation of the wicked servant. Thus, even if all the paths of the Lord are merry and truth [Ps 25: 10], this is especially evident at the end when mercy is manifest in the reward of the good and justice in the punishment of the wicked. It is for this reason that the prophet David sings: Two things have I heard-namely mercy and justice: that you repay to each one according to his works [Ps 62: 11-12]. To the good, who possess the merit of grace, he will give the reward of glory, but to the wicked who possess the demerit of sin, the divine justice will render the torment of Gehenna.
The Receptive Subject of Creation: the World, Inner Conscience, and Heaven Let us now turn to the phrase: in his field. This brings us to my second point: the creation of humankind in terms of its receptive subject, designated here by the word "field." As the Lord explains it, in this instance the field signifies the world from which man was formed in regard to his body of clay [Gn
2:7]; in regard to his soul, however, he was formed out of nothing. Now in the scripture we find that the word "field" is used to signify the fabric of the world, the inner conscience, and our
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-----------------heavenly homeland. So we have the field of the fabric of the world, the inner conscience, and the heavenly homeland. The field which is the fabric of the world should be disdained as an occasion of wandering and deviancy. The field which is the inner conscience should be cultivated, for it can receive the word of God, but the field which is the heavenly homeland should be desired for the fragrance and the beauty of its divine flower.
First, let us consider why the field of the fabric of this world should be disdained as being a source of wandering and deviancy. Job alludes to this in the passage: For it-namely, Behemoth-the mountains yield food, where all the beasts of the field play
[40:20]. It is because of their inordinate attachment to this mundane field that sinners turn away from God; therefore, their hearts yield the prickly fruits of vice, which Behemoth, that is, the devil, feeds on and delights in. All the beasts of the field, namely, the devils lurking in this world, play there. They applaud, when through their devious tricks they manage to entice human souls made in the image of God into earthly affections, deterring them from the love of penance with the distraction of vain ideas, alluring them instead with the charm of worldly pleasures. Thus, in the book of Genesis it is said of Joseph: A manfound him wandering in thefield [37:15]. Joseph wandering in the field, whose name is interpreted here as "attachment," stands for the person who attaches his heart to the fleeting delights of the field of the world for love of them, he has wandered away from the path of seeking the ldngdom of God, even though it is gratuitous, free of cost, and available to all. The heart of the greedy person strays in this manner, for what is gratuitous, he would make cheap; what is free of cost, something base, and what is available to all, he would appropriate to himself. Because of this deviant error, this worldly field should be disdained, even if we must make use of it to take care of our bodily needs.
Now the second field, that of the inner conscience, should be cultivated so that it might receive the word of God. Proverbs admonishes us: Diligently till your field [24:27]. The Wise
One goes on to relate in the same passage: I passed by the field of
The Cultivation of God's Word one who was la0', by the vineyard of a stupid person; and see, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down [24:30-31]. Having observed this, let it serve as an example. Thefield stands for the body; the vineyard, the soul. These will become overgrown with the thorns of vices and the nettles of wanton desires unless cultivated through holy discipline and good training. The stone wall is broken down when the bulwark of virtue is abandoned. So when wise persons see all this, they learn from this example to rid the field of their conscience, indeed of their entire body, from the thorns of vices through the good exercise of virtuous conduct and the nettles of wanton desires through the discipline of constant mortification. What is written in the prophet Zechariah is thus fulfilled: The Lord will give to each year grass in the field
[10:1].
The third field, that of the heavenly homeland, should be desired for the fragrance and beauty of the divine flower. Indeed, one reads in the psalm: I know all the birds of the air, and with me is the beauty oj the field [50: 11]. This beauty of heavenly glory, which one finds in God the Father, is nothing else than the beauty of all things, sensible and insensible, rational and irrational, of the humanity of Christ and of God one and triune. These are given to the contemplation of the glorified spirit, symbolized by the birds oj the air, because the wings of contemplation are raised even to union with the heaven where the Trinity resides. From the beauty oJthatfteld such a fragrance emanates that it reaches one's inmost being and intoxicates the whole heavenly court. It was this perfume that the holy
Isaac sensed in Jacob when he exclaimed in the spirit of prophecy: Ah, the smell oj my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed [Gn 27:27]. Indeed, Christ too was like a field filled with the flowers of virtue, namely with the roses of grace and the lilies of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruits of sweet consolations. It is their fragrance which the contemplative soul experiences when it utters the cry of the Song of Songs:
Come, my beloved, let us go Jorth into the field [7: 11].
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The Intermediate Act of Creation:
Material, Spiritual, and Heavenly Influences We now have reached our third point: the creation of humankind from the viewpoint of the intermediate act, expressed in the sowing of good seed, for the parable tells us: he sowed good seed. Properly speaking, the Creative Power first sowed both spiritual and material substances into the field of the fabric of the world, giving the substratum of natural existence. The Wisdom governing the inner field of the conscience and the soul then sowed heavenly influences, granting the perfected existence of grace. The Goodness drawing all things to their completion finally sowed in the field of the heavenly homeland the everlasting splendors which bestow the fulfilled existence of glory.
First of all, the Creative Power sowed in the field of the fabric of the world both spiritual and material substances, giving the substratum of natural existence. As Jeremiah says: I planted you as my choice Vineyard, all true seed [2:21]. This Vineyard planted by almighty God is the world. His true seed is humankind, for being fashioned according to the image and likeness of God, it was intended to be seed disposed to the moisture of heavenly rain, sprouting up into the vigor of grace and growing until the mature harvest of glory. An enenry, that is, the devil, sowed the false seed of vices and sins in order to suffocate the true seed, so that it might not sprout into the bud of grace. This is what
Matthew tells us: "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where, then, did these weeds come from?" He answered, "An enemy has done this" [3:27-28].
Then the Wisdom governing the inner field of the conscience, or soul, has sown heavenly influences, granting the perfected existence of grace. Thus Hosea prophesied: I will sow her for myself in the earth; and I will have mercy on her that was without mercy [2:23]. God had compassion on erring souls when from them he weeded out all the thorns of vice, sowing instead, as in choice earth, the seed of the word of God, which could sprout into grace and grow until the full harvest of glory.
The Cultivation of God's Word -----This is why the Lord also says in Matthew: But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bearsfruit [13:23]. The word of God is sown on good soil when it is heard with reverence and understood by being put into practice; for it is then that the devout soul, like good soil, bears the fruit of grace when it carries into action what it has grasped.
Finally, the Goodness which draws creatures to the heavenly field has sown the everlasting splendors which bestow the fulfilled existence of glory. Thus, Isaiah says: These are the seed whom the Lord has blessed. I will greatry rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God;for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation [61 :9-10]. These are the seed: namely, the everlasting splendors shining in the presence of the divine beauty. These the Lord has blessed with the beatitude of glory. With this immediate vision of the face of God, the glorified soul is seized with such an overwhelming desire to greatry rejoice with supreme gladness, both exteriorly, at the sight of the humanity of Christ, and interiorly, in God, at the sight of the Godhead.
These truly have been clothed with the garments of salvation. May the Lord grant that we may be worthy to enter there ..