Sermon 24 — Meister Eckhart

Sant Johannes sach in einer gesihte ûf dem berge Siôn ein lembelîn stân unde bî ime vier und vierzic, die wâren niht irdensch unde heten niht frouwen namen. Sie wâren alle megde unde stuonden den namen aller nêhest bî, unde swâ daz lamb hin weich, dâ wichen sie alliu nâch unde sungen alle mit dem lambe einen sunderlîchen sanc unde hâten ir namen und ir vater namen geschrieben an irme houpte.

Nû sprichet Johannes, er sêhe ein lembelî stân ûf dem berge. Ich spriche: Johannes was selber der berc, dâ er daz lembelî ûf sach, unde swer daz götlîch lamb sehen sol, der muoz selber der berc sîn unde komen in sîn hœhstez und in sîn lûterstez. Daz ander, daz er sprichet, daz er daz lämbelîn stân sach ûf dem berge: swaz ûf dem anderen stât, daz rüeret mit sînem understen des anderen oberstez. Got rüeret elliu dinc unde belîbet er unberüeret. Got ist über elliu dinc ein înstân in sich selber unde sîn înstân daz enthaltet alle crêatûren. Alle crêatûre hânt ein oberstez und ein understez. Des enhât got niht: got ist über alliu dinc unde wirt niene berüeret von nihte. Alle crêatûre suochent ûzer in selber, ie einz an dem andern, des ez niht enhât. Daz entuot got niht: got suochet niht ûzer im selber: daz alle crêatûren habent, daz hât got alzemâle in ime, er ist der boden, der reif aller crêatûren. Ez ist wol wâr, daz einiu vor der anderen ist, joch zem minsten, daz einiu vor der anderen geborn ist: nochdenne sô engibet si im ir wesen niht, ez behaltet etwaz des sînen. Got ist ein einvaltig înstân, ein însitzen in sich selber. Ein ieclîchiu crêatûre nâch der edelkeit ir nâtûre sô si mê însitzet in sich selber, sô si sich mê ûz biutet. Ein einveltic stein als ein tupstein der bewîset niut mê denne daz er ein stein ist. Aber ein edelstein, der grôze kraft hât in dem daz er hât ein înstân, ein însitzen in sich selber, in dem selben reket er iezet daz houpt ûf unde luoget ûz. Die meister sprechent, daz kein crêatûre sô grôz însitzen in sich selber habe alse lîp unde sêle, unde hât ouch enkein sô grôz ûzgên sô diu sêle nâch irme obersten teile.

Saint John saw in a vision a little lamb standing on Mount Sion, and beside it were forty-four who were not earthly and did not bear the name of woman. They were all virgins and stood closest of all to the name. Wherever the lamb went, they all followed, and together with the lamb they sang a special song. Their name and their father's name were written upon their foreheads.

Now John says that he saw a little lamb standing upon the mountain. I say: John himself was the mountain upon which he saw the little lamb, and whoever is to see the divine lamb must himself be the mountain and come into his highest and purest part. The second point is that he says he saw the little lamb standing upon the mountain. Whatever stands upon something else touches the highest part of that other thing with its own lowest part. God touches all things and yet remains untouched. Above all things, God is a standing-within himself, and his standing-within upholds all creatures. Every creature has an uppermost and a lowest part. God has neither: God is above all things and is nowhere touched by anything. All creatures seek outside themselves, each in another, what they do not possess. God does not do this. God seeks nothing outside himself. Whatever all creatures possess, God possesses wholly within himself; he is the base and the encircling ring of all creatures. It is indeed true that one creature is before another, or at least that one is born before another. Even so, one does not give the other its being: the other retains something of its own. God is a simple standing-within, an abiding within himself. The more any creature abides within itself according to the nobility of its nature, the more it offers itself outwardly. An ordinary stone, such as a tufa stone, shows no more than that it is a stone. But a precious stone, which possesses great power because it has a standing-within, an abiding within itself, raises its head and looks outward from that very abiding. The masters say that no creature has so great an abiding within itself as body and soul, and that none has so great a going-forth as the soul in its highest part.

Nû sprichet er: ich sach daz lamp stân. Hie mügen wir vier guote lêre an nemen. Daz eine: daz lamp spîset unde kleidet unde tuot daz alse güetlîch, unde daz sol unserm verstentnisse loken, daz wir sô vil von got enpfangen hân und uns daz sô güetlîchen tuot, daz sol uns twingen, daz wir an allen unsern werken niht ensuochen denne sîn lop unde sîn êre. Daz ander: daz lembell stuont. Ez tuot vil sanfte sô ein friunt bî sîme friunde stât. Got stât uns bî unde stênde belîbet er bî uns stête und unbeweget. Nû sprichet er: bî ime stuonden alzemâle vil, der hâte ieglîchez geschrieben vor an irme houpte sînen namen unde sînes vater namen. Zem minsten sol gotes name in uns geschrieben sîn. Wir süllen gotes bilde in uns tragen unde sîn lieht sol in uns liuhten, ob wir Johannes wellen sîn.

Now he says: “I saw the lamb standing.” Here we may learn four good lessons. The first is that the lamb feeds and clothes, and does so with such kindness. This should draw our understanding toward the fact that we have received so much from God and that he acts toward us so kindly. It should compel us to seek nothing in any of our works but his praise and his honour. The second is that the little lamb stood. How gentle it is when one friend stands beside another. God stands beside us, and in standing he remains beside us, steadfast and unmoved. Now he says that very many stood beside him, and each had his own name and his father's name written on the front of his forehead. At the very least, God's name should be written within us. We should bear God's image within us, and his light should shine within us if we wish to be John.