6. The psalm title of Psalm 57, in the Old Latin version.
SERMON 201 89 manifested to the Gentiles, when the Magi paid him homage. You see, it's a source of unfailing delight to reflect on how, when the Magi inquired where the Christ was to be bom, the Jews replied In Bethlehem of Judah (Mt 2:5), and yet didn't go to him themselves; but when they had withdrawn, the same star led the Magi right through to the place where the child was. This shows that it was perfectly well able to point out the city too, but that it had held back a little so that the Jews might be questioned. Now the reason the Jews were questioned, was to show that they carry around the divine testimonies, not for their own, but for the Gentiles' salvation and acceptance. That, you see, is also why that nation has been driven from its own kingdom and dispersed through other countries, to compel them everywhere to be witnesses to the very faith whose enemies they are. The fact is, they have lost the temple, the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the very kingdom, and only preserve their name and race in a few of the old sacraments.8 Otherwise, being mixed up with the nations they might disappear without trace, and lose their value as evidence of the truth. It's like Cain receiving a sign to stop anyone killing him, though he had himself killed his righteous brother out of jealousy and pride.9
This can certainly and not unsuitably be understood to be the lesson of the fifty-eighth psalm, where Christ is speaking in the person of his body, and says, My God has demonstrated to me in my enemies: Do not slay them, lest they should ever forget your law (Ps 59:11). Among them, that is, enemies of the Christian faith, a demonstration is given the Gentiles of how Christ was prophe¬ sied. Otherwise, when they saw the prophecies so manifestly being fulfilled, they might suppose that these same scriptures had been fabricated by Christians, when things foretold about Christ are recited that they can observe have been fulfilled. So the sacred volumes are produced by the Jews, and in this way God
"demonstrates to us in our enemies"; whom he didn't slay, that is totally eliminate from all countries, for this reason; that they should not forget his law. The reason they remember this by reading it, and observing some of its contents, though in a literal and material manner,10 is to take judgment on themselves, present testimony to us.
NOTES
1. See note 8 below, for reasons to date it roughly between 411 and 416. A somewhat disagree¬ able sermon.
2. See Eph 2:11-22.
3. See Lk 23:45. 4. It is regrettable, but not surprising, that having briefly named the shepherds as representatives of Jewish faith in Christ, Augustine forgets about them, and from now on concentrates on Jewish failure to believe in Christ.
5. An attempt to produce Augustine's word-play: quern Judaei conati sunt mendosi emendare; more literally, "which the faulty Jews attempted to unfault.''
6. The psalm title of Psalm 57, in the Old Latin version.