Sermon 31 — My husband, your servant, is dead

Pfeiffer Sermon 31Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Vir meus servus tuus mortuus est (4. Reg. IV, 1–7.).

Ein frouwe sprach zuo dem wissagen ‘mîn man, dîn kneht ist tôt. Nû koment die, den wir schuldic sîn, unde nement mîne zwêne süne und machent die diensthaftic für ir schult, und habe niht danne ein wênic oleis.’ Der wissage sprach ‘sô entlêhen ledigiu vaz unde giuz in iegelîchez ein wênic: daz wehset unde nimet zuo, unde verkoufe unde vergilt dîne schult unde loese dîne zwêne süne. Swaz dar über belîbe, dâ mit nere dich unde dîne zwêne süne.’

Daz fünkeli (daz ist diu vernüftikeit, daz ist daz houbet der sêle) daz heizet der man der sêle und ist alse mêre alse ein fünkeln götlîcher nâtûre und ein götlîch lieht, ein zein und ein îngetrucket bilde götlîcher nâtûre. Diu frouwe begerte von unserm herren des wazzers, daz er gibet. Swer des eines getrinket, den gedürstet nimmer mê. Die meister sprechent: diu êrste gâbe gotes daz ist der heilige geist, in dem got gibet alle sîne gnâde unde gevellekeit, daz ist daz lebendige wazzer. ‘Swem ich daz gibe den gedürstet nimmer mê.’ Diz wazzer ist gnâde unde lieht unde enspringet in der sêle unde bringet in daz êwig leben.

Vir meus servus tuus mortuus est (4. Reg. IV, 1–7.).

A woman said to the prophet, “My husband, your servant, is dead. Now those to whom we are indebted are coming to take my two sons and make them servants on account of the debt, and I have nothing but a little oil.” The prophet said, “Borrow empty vessels and pour a little into each of them. It grows and increases. Sell it, pay your debt, and redeem your two sons. With whatever remains, support yourself and your two sons.”

The little spark, that is the intellect and the head of the soul, is called the husband of the soul. It is more than a little spark of divine nature and a divine light: it is a slender shoot and an imprinted image of divine nature. The woman desired from our Lord the water that he gives. Whoever drinks of it will never thirst again. The masters say that the first gift of God is the Holy Spirit, in whom God gives all his grace and favor: this is the living water. “Whomever I give this to will never thirst again.” This water is grace and light; it springs forth in the soul and brings her into eternal life.

Dô sprach diu frouwe ‘herre, gib mir des wazzers.’ Dô sprach unser herre ‘sô bring mir dînen man.’ Dô sprach si ‘herre, ich enhabe dehein.’ Dô sprach unser herre ‘dû hâst wâr: dû hâst niht einen, dû hâst fünf gehabt, unde den dû nû hâst der enist dîn man niht.’ Sant Augustînus sprichet: war umbe sprichet unser herre: dû hâst wâr geseit? Er will sprechen: die fünf sinne daz sint die fünf man, die hâst dû in der jugent gehabt nâch dînem willen: nû hâst dû einen in dînem alter, der ist dîn niht; daz ist dîn vernüftikeit, der envolgest dû niht. Swenne der man, diu vernüftikeit, tôt ist in der sêle, sô stêt ez unmâzen übel. Daz diu sêle von dem lîbe scheidet, daz tuot gar wê; aber daz diu sêle von gote scheidet, daz tuot verre wirser. Alse diu sêle dem lîbe wesen gibet, alse ist got der sêle leben. Als diu sêle sich giuzet in alliu diu lide, als fliuzet got in alle die krefte der sêle, daz sie ez fürbaz giezen, mit güete unde mit minne ûf allez daz bî ime ist, daz ez sîn alles gewar werde, als fliuzet er alle zît, daz ist über in die êwikeit und in dem leben, dâ diu inne lebent. Dar umbe sprach unser herre zuo der frouwen ‘ich gibe daz lebendic wazzer, der daz trinket der lebet des lebens.’

Nû sprach diu frouwe ‘herre, mîn man, dîn kneht, ist tôt.’ Servus sprichet als vil als einer der enpfâhet und einen andern enpfâhet, unde behaltet und einen andern behaltet. Behielte er in ime selber, sô wêre er ein diep. Vernüftikeit ist eigentlîcher kneht danne wille oder minne. Wille unde minne vallent ûf got, alse er guot ist, und wêre er niht guot, sô enâhten sie sîn niht. Vernüftikeit diu dringet ûf in daz wesen, ê si bedenke guot oder gewalt oder wîsheit oder daz oder waz daz ist, daz zuovellig ist, daz gote zuo geleigit ist, dar an enkêrit si sich niht, si nimet in in ime, si versinket in daz wesen unde nimet got als er lûter wesen ist. Enwêre er wîse noch guot noch gereht, si nêmen in doch als er lûter wesen ist. Hie gelîchet sich vernüftikeit der obristen hêrschaft der engel, die die drie koere in sich hânt. Troni die nement got in sich unde behaltent got in sich. Got ruowet in Cherubîn, die bekennent got unde blîbent dar an. Seraphîn daz ist der brant: disen glîchet vernüftikeit unde behaldet got in sich. Mit disen engeln nimet vernüftikeit got in sîme kleithûse blôz als er ist ein ân underscheit.

Then the woman said, “Lord, give me this water.” Our Lord replied, “Bring me your husband.” She said, “Lord, I have none.” Our Lord said, “You have spoken truly. You have not one; you have had five, and the one you now have is not your husband.” Saint Augustine asks why our Lord says, “You have spoken truly.” He means that the five senses are the five husbands that you had in youth according to your own will. Now, in old age, you have one who is not yours, namely your intellect, which you do not follow. Whenever the husband, the intellect, is dead in the soul, things stand exceedingly ill. It is very painful when the soul parts from the body, but far worse when the soul parts from God. Just as the soul gives being to the body, so God is the life of the soul. Just as the soul pours itself into all the members of the body, so God flows into all the powers of the soul, so that they may pour it onward, with goodness and love, upon everything that is with him, so that it may become aware of all that is his. Thus he flows at all times, that is, beyond into eternity and into the life in which they live. Therefore our Lord said to the woman, “I give the living water; whoever drinks of it lives with the life itself.”

Now the woman said, “Lord, my husband, your servant, is dead.” Servus, “servant,” means one who receives for another and preserves what he receives for another. If he kept it for himself, he would be a thief. The intellect is more properly a servant than will or love. Will and love turn toward God insofar as he is good, and if he were not good they would pay no heed to him. The intellect presses into being before considering goodness, power, wisdom, or this or whatever it may be, any accidental property attributed to God. It does not turn toward these, but receives him within itself; it sinks into being and receives God as he is pure being. Even were he neither wise nor good nor righteous, it would nonetheless receive him as he is pure being. In this the intellect resembles the highest hierarchy of angels, which contains the three choirs. The Thrones receive God into themselves and keep God within them. God rests in the Cherubim, who know God and abide in that knowledge. The Seraphim are the burning fire; the intellect resembles them and keeps God within itself. With these angels the intellect receives God in his undifferentiated divine unity, bare as he is, the One without distinction.

Nû sprach diu frouwe ‘herre, mîn man, dîn kneht, ist tôt. Sie koment den wir schuldic sîn, unde nement mîne zwêne süne.’ Waz sint die zwêne süne der sêle? Sant Augustînus sprichet unde mit ime ein heidenischer meister von zwein antlützen der sêlen. Daz ein ist gekêret in dise welt unde zuo dem lîbe, in dem würket si tugent unde kunst. Daz ander antlütze ist gekêret gerihte in got, in dem ist âne underlâz götlîch lieht unde würket dâ inne, aleine daz si es niht enweiz, dar umbe, wan si dâ heime niht enist. Daz fünkelîn der vernüftikeit blôz in got genomen dâ lebet der man. Dâ geschiht diu geburt. Diu engeschiht niht eines in dem jâre noch eines in dem mânede noch eines in dem tage, mêr: alle zît, daz ist oben zît in der wîte, dâ noch hie noch nû enist noch nâtûre noch gedanke. Dar umbe sprechen wir süne unde niht töhter.

Nû spreche wir von den zwein sünen in einem andern sinne. Daz ist verstântnüsse unde wille. Verstântnüsse brichet zem êrsten ûz, vernüftikeit unde wille gêt dâ nâch ûz in beiden. Dâ von niht mê. Nû spreche wir in einem andern sinne von den zwein sünen der vernüftikeit. Diu ein ist diu mügelicheit, diu ander ist diu würklicheit. Nû sprichet ein heidenischer meister: diu sêle hât in dirre kraft alliu dinc zuo werdenne geistlîche. In der würkenden kraft glîchet si sich dem vater unde würket alliu dinc in ein niuwe wesen. Got wolde in sî gedrücket haben nâtûre aller crêatûre: dô enwas si niht vor der werlte. Got hât alle dise welt geistlîch gemachet in einem ieglîchen engel, ê disiu welt gemachet wurde, in im selber. Der engel hât zwô verstântnüsse. Diu ein ist morgenlieht, diu ander ist ein âbentlieht. Daz morgenlieht ist, daz er alliu dinc sihet in gote. Daz âbentlieht ist, daz er diu dinc sihet in sînem nâtûrlichen liehte. Gienge er ûz in diu dinc, sô würde iz naht. Nû blîbet er inne, dar umbe heizet ez ein âbentlieht. Wir sprechen, daz die engel sich fröuwen, sô ein mensche guot wirt. Unser besten meister frâgent: ob die engel betrüebet werden, sô der mensche sünde tuot? Wir sprechen: nein! wan si sehent in die gerehtikeit gotes unde nement alliu dinc in ime, als sie sint in gote. Dar umbe enmügent sie sich niht betrüeben. Nû gelîchet sich vernüftikeit in der mügelîchen kraft deme nâtûrlichen liehte der engel, daz dâ ist âbentlieht. Mit der würkenden kraft sô treit si alliu dinc ûf in gote unde sint doch alliu dinc in dem morgenliehte.

Now the woman said, “Lord, my husband, your servant, is dead. Those to whom we are indebted are coming to take my two sons.” What are the two sons of the soul? Saint Augustine, and with him a pagan master, speak of the two faces of the soul. One is turned toward this world and the body, where the soul exercises virtue and art. The other face is turned directly toward God. In it divine light shines and works without ceasing, even though the soul does not know this, because she is not at home there. When the little spark of the intellect is received bare into God, there the husband lives. There the birth takes place. It does not happen once in the year, nor once in the month, nor once in the day, but at all times, that is, above time in the vastness where there is neither here nor now, neither nature nor thought. That is why we speak of sons and not daughters.

Let us now speak of the two sons in another sense. They are understanding and will. Understanding breaks forth first; intellect and will then go forth in both. No more of that. Let us speak in yet another sense of the two sons of the intellect. One is potentiality and the other actuality. A pagan master says that in this power the soul possesses all things so that they may become spiritual. In the active power she resembles the Father and works all things into a new being. God wished to have the nature of every creature imprinted within her, although she was not yet there before the world. God made this whole world spiritually in each angel, within himself, before this world was made. The angel has two kinds of understanding. One is morning light and the other evening light. Morning light is his seeing all things in God. Evening light is his seeing things in his own natural light. If he went out into things, it would become night. Yet he remains within; hence it is called evening light. We say that the angels rejoice when a human being becomes good. Our best masters ask whether the angels become sorrowful when a human being commits sin. We answer: no, for they behold God's righteousness and receive all things in him as they are in God. For this reason they cannot become sorrowful. Thus the intellect, in its potential power, resembles the natural light of the angels, which is evening light. With its active power it bears all things up into God, and yet all things are in the morning light.

Nû sprichet diu frouwe ‘sie koment den wir schuldic sîn unde nement mîne zwêne süne in iren dienst.’ Nû sprichet der wissage ‘entlêhen ledigiu vaz umbe dîne nâchgebûren.’ Dise nâchgebûren sint alle crêatûre unde die fünf sinne und alle die krefte der sêle und inre krefte, die gar heimlîchen würkent, unde sint die engel. Von allen disen nâchgebûren solt dû entlêhen ledigiu vaz. Daz wir îteler vaz entlêhen und alle gefüllet werden mit götlîcher wîsheit, daz wir dâ von unser schulde vergelten und êwiclîchen dâ von leben, daz dâ über ist, des helf uns got. Âmen.

Now the woman says, “Those to whom we are indebted are coming to take my two sons into their service.” The prophet says, “Borrow empty vessels from your neighbors.” These neighbors are all creatures, the five senses, all the powers of the soul and her inward powers that work most secretly, and also the angels. From all these neighbors you shall borrow empty vessels. May God help us to borrow empty vessels, to have them all filled with divine wisdom, to discharge our debt from it and to live eternally from whatever remains. Amen.