away to worship. This is the humility for which the wild olive deserved to be
96 SAINT A UG USTINE - SERMONS shepherds are not really to be blamed; they were quicker and keener to rejoice over their salvation; while these Magi carried a heavy load of many sins, and were more submissively seeking pardon.
This is the humility which divine scripture commends to us more in those who came from the Gentiles than in the Jews.5 That centurion, you see, was from the Gentiles, who after welcoming the Lord into his heart of hearts said all the same that he was not worthy to have him enter his house, and didn't want him to visit his sick servant, but simply to command his cure. Thus he kept him present inwardly in his heart, while doing him the honor of not admitting him under his roof. Finally, the Lord said, I have not found such great faith in Israel (Lk 7:2-9). There was also that Canaanite woman from among the Gentiles, who on hearing from the Lord that she was a dog and unworthy to be given the children's bread, requested, as a dog, the scraps; and precisely because she did not deny what she had been, she earned the right not to be it anymore.6 She too, you see, heard from the Lord, O woman, great is your faith (Mt 15:21-28). Her humility made her faith great, because she had made herself small.
The Magi, firstfruits of the Gentiles
3. So the shepherds came from nearby to see, and the Magi came from far away to worship. This is the humility for which the wild olive deserved to be grafted in to the olive tree,7 and against nature to produce olives; because it deserved to change nature through grace. They come, you see, from the utter¬ most bounds of the earth, saying according to Jeremiah Truly our fathers worshiped lies (Jer 16:19). And they come, not just from one part of the world, but as the gospel according to Luke says, from East and West, from North and South (Lk 13:29), to sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 8:11).
In this way the whole world is summoned to faith from its four comers by the grace of the Trinity. According to this number, that is four multiplied by three, the twelve-man team of the apostles was consecrated, as it were prefig¬ uring the salvation of all four comers of the earth in the grace of the Trinity. This number, you see, was also signified by that dish which was shown to Peter, full of all kinds of animals, representing all nations; because it was suspended from four lines and let down from heaven three times before being taken up again;8 to make twelve out of the number four. That, perhaps, is why twelve days were added after the Lord's birthday, before the Magi, as firstfruits of the Gentiles, came to see and worship Christ, and were found worthy to receive not only their own salvation but also that of all the nations.
So let us celebrate this day with the greatest devotion; and let the Lord Jesus, who was worshiped by those firstfruits of ours lying in a lodging house, be worshiped by us lodged in heaven. They venerated in him what was going to happen, while we venerate it after it has been accomplished. The firstfruits of the nations worshiped him as he panted for the breasts of his mother; the nations worship him as he is seated at the right hand of God the Father.