Sermon 36 — Young man, I say to you: arise

Pfeiffer Sermon 36Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Adolescens, tibi dico: surge (Luc. VII, 14.).

Unser herre gienc zuo einer stat, diu hiez Naim, unde mit im vil liutes und ouch die junger. Dô si kômen under die porte, dô truoc man dar ûz einen tôten, einen jungelinc, einen einigen sun einer witiben. Unser herre trat hin zuo unde ruorte die bâre, dâ der tôte ûf lag, und sprach ‘jungelinc, ich sage dir, stant ûf!’ Daz leben sprach daz leben in den tôten. Der jungelinc rihte sich ûf unde begunte zehant ze wortenne von der glîcheit, daz er von dem êwigen worte was ûf erstanden.

Nû spriche ich: er gienc zuo der stat. Daz ist diu sêle, die wol geordent ist unde gevestent in dem heiligen geiste unde behuot vor gebresten unde ûz geslozzen hât alle manicvaltikeit und eintrehtic ist unde wol gevestent ist in dem heile Jêsus und umbemuoret ist unde bevangen mit dem götlichen liehte. Dar umbe sprichet der prophête ‘got ist ein mûre umbe Syôn.’ Diu êwig wîsheit sprichet ‘ich sol gelîche widerruowen in der gewîhten und in der geheiligeten stat.’ Niht enruowet noch eneiniget sô vil sô glîch; dâ von allez gelîch unde inne unde nâhe unde bî. Diu sêle, diu ist gewîhet, in der got alleine ist und in der enkein crêatûre ruowe vindet. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘in der gewîhten und in der geheiligeten stat sol ich gelîche widerruowen.’ Alliu heilekeit ist von dem heiligen geiste. Diu nâtûre übertritet niht: si hebet iemer an ze würkende an dem nideristen unde würket alsô ûf in daz hoehste. Die meister sprechent, daz der luft nimmer fiur werde, er sî zem êrsten kleinlich unde hitzic worden. Der heilig geist nimet die sêle unde lûtert si in dem liehte und in der gnâde unde ziuhet si ûf in daz allerhoehste. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘in der geheiligeten stat sol ich gelîche widerruowen.’ Alse vil diu sêle ruowet in gote, alse vil widerruowet got in ir. Ruowet si ein teil in ime, sô ruowet er ein teil in ir; ruowet si alzemâle in ime, sô ruowet er alzemâle in ir. Dar umbe sprichet diu êwige wîsheit ‘ich sol wider gelîch ruowen.’

Adolescens, tibi dico: surge (Luc. VII, 14.).

“Young man, I say to you: arise” (Luke 7:14). Our Lord went to a town called Nain, and with him were many people and also the disciples. When they came beneath the gate, a dead man was being carried out, a young man, the only son of a widow. Our Lord came forward and touched the bier on which the dead man lay, and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” Life spoke life into the dead man. The young man raised himself up and at once began to speak, by virtue of the likeness through which he had risen from the eternal Word.

Now I say: he went to the town. This is the soul that is well ordered and firmly established in the Holy Spirit, preserved from defect, that has shut out all multiplicity, is single-minded and well established in the salvation of Jesus, and is walled about and enclosed in divine light. Therefore the prophet says, “God is a wall around Zion.” Eternal Wisdom says, “I shall rest in like manner in the consecrated and holy city.” Nothing gives rest or brings into union so greatly as likeness; hence what is alike is inward, near and close at hand. The soul is consecrated when God alone is in her and no creature finds rest in her. Therefore he says, “In the consecrated and holy city I shall rest in like manner.” All holiness comes from the Holy Spirit. Nature does not overstep its course: it always begins its work at the lowest and thus works upward to the highest. The masters say that air never becomes fire unless it has first become subtle and hot. The Holy Spirit takes the soul and purifies her in light and grace and draws her up into the very highest. Therefore he says, “In the holy city I shall rest in like manner.” To the extent that the soul rests in God, to that extent God rests in return in her. If she rests partly in him, he rests partly in her; if she rests wholly in him, he rests wholly in her. Therefore eternal Wisdom says, “I shall rest in return in like manner.”

Die meister sprechent, daz diu gelwe unde diu grüene varwe an dem regenbogen sô gelîch sich in ein ander sliezen, daz enkein ouge sô scharpf gesihte enhât, daz ez solichez gespüren möhte: sô glîch würket diu nâtûre, unde glîchet sich dem êrsten ûzbruche, der sô gelîch ist an den engeln, daz Moyses niht dâ von getorste schrîben, durch kranker liute herze, daz sie sie niht anbeteten: sô gelîch sint sie dem êrsten ûzbruche. Daz sprichet gar ein hôher meister, daz der oberste engel der geiste sô nâhe sî dem êrsten ûzbruche, unde sô vil in ime habe götlicher glîchnüsse unde götlicher maht, daz er bewâr und pflege aller diser welt unde dar zuo aller der engel, die under ime sint. Hie lît guotiu lêre an, daz got sô hôhe ist unde sô lûter unde sô einveltic, daz er würket in sîner obersten crêatûre, daz diu würket in sîner gewalte, als ein truchsêze würket in des küniges maht unde berihtet sîn lant. Er sprichet ‘in der geheiligeter und in der gewîhter stat sol ich glîch widerruowen.’

Ich sprach nû nüwenlingen von der porte, dâ got ûz smilzet, daz ist güete. Aber wesen ist, daz sich ahtet zuo ime selber und ensmilzet niht ûz, mêr: ez smilzet în. Aber daz ist einikeit, daz sich haltet in ime selber ein unde von allen dingen ein unde gemeinet sich niht ûz. Aber güete daz ist, dâ got ûz smilzet unde gemeinet sich allen crêatûren. Wesen ist der vater, einikeit ist der sun, güete ist der heilige geist. Nû nimet der heilig geist die sêle (die geheiliget stat) in dem lûtersten und in dem hoehsten unde treit si ûf in sînen ursprinc, daz ist der sun, unde der sun treit si fürbaz in sînen ursprinc, daz ist in den vater, in den grunt, in daz êrste, dâ der sun wesen inne hât, aldâ gelîch widerruowet diu êwig wîsheit in der gewîhten und in der geheiligeten stat, in dem innigesten.

The masters say that the yellow and green colours of the rainbow merge so closely into one another that no eye has sight so sharp that it could discern the joining. Nature works in just such likeness and makes itself like the first breaking-forth. This breaking-forth is reflected so closely in the angels that Moses did not dare write of it, for fear that people of weak heart would worship them: so like are they to the first breaking-forth. A very exalted master says that the highest angel among the spirits is so close to the first breaking-forth, and has within himself so much divine likeness and divine power, that he guards and cares for this whole world and also for all the angels beneath him. There is good teaching in this: God is so exalted, so pure and so simple that he works in his highest creature, which then works by his power, just as a steward acts by the king’s authority and governs his land. He says, “In the holy and consecrated city I shall rest in like manner.”

I spoke recently of the gate through which God flows forth: that is goodness. But being is that which regards itself and does not flow outward, but flows inward. Oneness, however, is that which remains one within itself, one apart from all things, and does not communicate itself outward. Goodness is that through which God flows forth and communicates himself to all creatures. Being is the Father, oneness is the Son, goodness is the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit takes the soul, that holy city, in what is purest and highest, and carries her up into his origin, which is the Son; and the Son carries her onward into his own origin, that is, into the Father, into the ground, into the first, where the Son has his being. There eternal Wisdom rests in return in like manner, in the consecrated and holy city, in its innermost part.

Nû sprichet er ‘unser herre gienc zuo der stat, diu hiez Naim.’ Naim daz sprichet alse vil alse einer tûben sun unde bediutet einvelikeit. Diu sêle ensol niemer geruowen in der mügelîcher kraft, si werde al ein in got. Ez sprichet ouch alse vil alse ein fluot des wazzers unde bediutet, daz der mensche sol unbeweglich sîn ze sünden unde ze gebresten. Die junger, daz ist götlich lieht, daz sol vliezen mit einer fluot in die sêle. Diu grôze schar, daz sint die tugende, dâ ich niuwelingen von sprach. Diu sêle muoz mit heizer begerunge ûf gân und übergân vil wirdekeit der engele in den grôzen tugenden. Dâ sô kumet man under die porte, daz ist in die minne und in die einikeit: diu porte, dâ man den tôten ûz truoc, den jungelinc, einer witewen sun. Unser herre trat zuo unde ruorte die bâre, dâ der tôte ûf lag. Wie er zuo trat unde wie er in ruorte, daz lâze ich ligen, mêr: daz er sprach ‘rihte dich ûf, jungelinc!’

Ez was ein sun einer witewen, der man was tôt. Dar umbe was ouch der sun tôt, der einige sun der sêle, daz ist der wille unde sint alle die krefte der sêle, sie sint alle ein in dem inristen der vernünftikeit, und vernünftikeit daz ist der man in der sêle. Nû daz der man tôt ist, dar umbe ist ouch der sun tôt. Zuo disem tôten sune sprach unser herre ‘ich spriche zuo dir, jungelinc, stant ûf!’ Swenne daz wort sprichet in die sêle und diu sêle widersprichet in dem lebenden worte, dâ wirt der sun lebendic in der sêle.

Now he says, “Our Lord went to the town called Nain.” Nain means as much as “a dove’s son” and signifies simplicity. The soul must never rest in the merely potential power; she must become wholly one in God. The name also means as much as “a flood of water,” and signifies that a human being must be unmoved by sins and defects. The disciples are divine light, which is to flow into the soul like a flood. The great multitude is the virtues, of which I spoke recently. The soul must rise with ardent longing and surpass much of the dignity of the angels through the great virtues. Thus one comes beneath the gate, that is, into love and oneness: the gate through which the dead young man, a widow’s son, was being carried out. Our Lord approached and touched the bier on which the dead man lay. How he approached and how he touched him, I shall leave aside; rather, I turn to what he said: “Rise up, young man!”

He was the son of a widow, whose husband was dead. Therefore the son too was dead, the soul’s only son, that is, the will and all the powers of the soul. They are all one in the innermost part of the intellect, and the intellect is the husband in the soul. Now that the husband is dead, the son too is dead. To this dead son our Lord said, “I say to you, young man, arise!” Whenever the Word speaks into the soul and the soul answers back within the living Word, the son becomes alive in the soul.

Die meister sprechent, weder bezzer sî: kraft der kriuter oder kraft der worte oder kraft der steine? Man sol sich dar umbe berâten. Elliu wort hânt kraft von dem êrsten worte. Aber der unnutz und diu manicvaltikeit der worte enfeldet die kraft. Krût hât ouch grôze kraft. Ich vernam, daz ein slange und ein wisele mit einander striten. Dô lief diu wisel enweg und holte ein kriutelîn unde bewant daz mit einem andern kriutelîn unde warf daz krût ûf den slangen und er zerbrach von einander unde lac der slange tôt. Waz gap der wiseln die wisheit? Daz si kraft an dem krûte wiste. Dar an lît ouch grôziu wisheit. Worte hânt ouch grôze kraft: man möhte wunder tuon mit worten. Steine hânt ouch grôze kraft von der glîcheit, die die sternen unde des himels kraft dar inne würket. Wan gelîch in glîchem sô vil würket, dar umbe sol sich diu sêle ûf erheben in eime nâtûrlîchem liehte in daz hoehste und in daz lûterste und alsô treten in engelischez lieht unde mit engelischem liehte komen in götlich lieht und alsô stân zwischen den drîn liehten in der wegescheiden, in der hoehi, dâ diu lieht ze samene stôzent. Dâ sprichet ir în daz êwige wort daz leben, dâ wirt diu sêle lebende unde widersprechende in dem worte. Daz wir alsô in dem êwigen worte widersprechende werden, des helf uns got. Âmen.

The masters discuss which is better: the power of herbs, the power of words, or the power of stones. One must consider this. All words have their power from the first Word. But the uselessness and multiplicity of words diminish that power. Herbs also have great power. I heard that a snake and a weasel fought one another. The weasel ran away and fetched a little herb, wrapped it with another little herb, and threw the herb upon the snake; the snake broke apart and lay dead. What gave the weasel its wisdom? That it knew the power in the herb. There is great wisdom in this too. Words also have great power: one might perform wonders with words. Stones also have great power through the likeness by which the power of the stars and the heavens works within them. Because like works so powerfully upon like, the soul should raise herself in natural light to what is highest and purest, and thus enter angelic light, and with angelic light come into divine light. She then stands among the three lights at the parting of the ways, on the height where the lights meet. There the eternal Word speaks life into her; there the soul becomes living and responsive in the Word. May God help us to become thus responsive within the eternal Word. Amen.