we bear with, the other which we desire. He is, after all, quite powerful enough
SERMON 229E
PREACHED ON THE MONDAY AFTER EASTER
Date: after 411
Christ has exchanged the good things of the region he came from for the bad things of this region of ours he came to
1. The Lord's passion and resurrection show us two kinds of life; one which we bear with, the other which we desire. He is, after all, quite powerful enough to give us that one, since he was willing for our sakes to bear with this one. By this, you see, he showed us how much he loves us, and wanted us to trust him to give us his own good things, seeing that he was willing to share our bad things in common with us. We were bom, and he was bom; because we are going to die, he died. These two things we had experience of in this life of ours, the beginning and the end, being bom and dying; being bom to commence our troubles, dying to move on to an uncertain future. These two things we had experience of, being bom and dying. There is plenty of this in our region. Our region is the earth; the region of the angels is heaven.
So our Lord came to this region from the other region; to the region of death from the region of life; to the region of trouble from the region of bliss. He came, bringing along to us his good things, and he patiently endured our bad things. He was carrying his good things secretly, "bearing with our bad things openly. The man was apparent, the God was hidden; weakness was apparent, sover¬ eignty hidden; the flesh apparent, the Word hidden. The flesh suffered; where was the Word when the flesh was suffering? The Word wasn't keeping quiet, because he was teaching us patience.
But look, Christ the Lord rose again on the third day; where now is the jeering of the Jews? Where now is the jeering of the Jewish leaders, growling and raging and prowling around, and killing the healer? Recall, dearly beloved, what you heard when his passion was being read: If he is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross, and we can believe in him. If he is the Son of God, he will save him (Mt 27:40-43). He heard all that, and he kept quiet; he was pleading for those who were saying this, and not showing himself openly. Indeed, it's written in another gospel that he cried out for them and said, Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing (Lk 23:34). He could see