Sermon 51 — He sought to see who Jesus was
Sancte Lucas schrîbet uns ‘dô unser herre wandelte ûf ertrîche in menschlîcher nâtûre, dô was ein rîcher man, der begerte Jêsum ze sehene. Dô enmahte er sîn vor der vili der schar niht gesehen, wande er kleine was.’ Ein heilige sprichet: der ist eigenlich rîch, der gotes unde tugende vil hât. Der des guotes vil hât unde gotes lützel, der ist arm und ist nihtes rîch, want elliu dinc sint gegen gote als ein niht. Dâ von sprach ein herre, den lopte sîn gesinde an vil gewaltes unde rîchtuomes. Dô sprach der herre ‘wêrlîche, sie hânt mich nihtes niht gelobet, want sie hânt vergezzen des aller grœsten, umbe daz ich ze lobenne bin: daz ich mîne lîbe gewaltic bin ze gebietende swaz ich wil.’ Dirre mensche, der Jêsum begerte ze sehene, der fûrlief die schar unde klam ûf einen boum, daz er Jêsum möhte gesehen. Dô sprach unser herre ‘balde kum her abe! ich muoz noch hiute bî dir sîn.’ Swer Jêsum sehen wil, der muoz fûrloufen elliu dinc. Waz meinet, daz ein mensche niht snelliche fûrloufet elliu dinc? Ez meinet, daz er gotes niht enhât gesmeket. Hête er gotes gesmeket, er fûrliefe snelleclîche elliu dinc; niht alleine fûrliefe, mêr: er durbrêche alle crêatûren. Swaz sîn minne gelâzen möhte, daz dûrbrêche er. Daz wir got niht gesehen mügen, daz kumet von kleini der gerunge unde von mengi der crêatûren. Swer hôher dinge gert, der ist hôch. Der got schowen sol, der muoz hôher gerunge sîn. Wizzent, daz ernsthaftiu gerunge unde verworfeniu diemüetikeit wunder würket. Ich spriche, daz got elliu dinc vermag: aber des vermag er niht, daz er dem menschen iht versage, der dêmuetic unde grôzer gerunge ist. Und swâ ich got niht twinge, daz er tuot allez daz ich wil, dâ gebristet mir eintweder diemout oder gerunge. Ich spriche daz ûf mînen lîp unde sprich ez sicherlîche, daz ein mensche von gerunge möhte dar zuo komen, daz er füere durch eine steinîne mûre, als wir lesen von sancte Pêter, dô er Jêsum sach, daz er von girde ûf dem wazzere hine gienc.
Nû spriche ich: daz dinc, daz füllende wehset, daz wirt niemer vol; als der nême ein vaz, daz fuoderic wêre, der dar în ein fuoder güzze, wüehse ez dâ mite, sô enwûrde ez niemer vol. Diz meinet die sêle: ie mê si begert, ie mê ir gegeben wirt; ie mê si enpfâhet, ie mê ir begrif wîter wirt. Wer ist Jêsus? Er enhât niht namen. Wâ siht man got? Swâ niht enist ein gester noch ein morne: dâ ein hiute ist und ein iezuo, dâ siht man got. Waz ist got? Ein meister sprichet: muoz daz von nôt sîn, daz ich von gote rede, sô spriche ich, daz got ist etwaz, daz enkein sin begrîfen noch erlangen mag: anders weiz ich niht von ime. Ein ander meister sprichet: swer daz von gote bekennet, daz er unbekant ist, der bekennet got. Nû kumet sanctus Augustînus unde vellet in die rede unde sprichet: got ist etwaz hœhste und oberste dinc, daz gemeine ist aller gebrûchunge. Er wil daz sprechen, daz got ist etwaz, in dem von nôt alle crêatûre müezen sîn: wan vellet er ûz der hant der erbârmeherzikeit gotes, sô vellet er wider in die hant der gerehtikeit gotes. Er muoz iemer in ime belîben. Von nôt muoz der mensche sîn wesen nemen in gote unde gebrûchunge haben, jâ in gote selber, ob er wil. Swer aber niht wil êweclîche genüegede unde gebrûchunge haben in gote selber, der muoz ez nemen von den dingen, diu alsô snœde sint, daz sie verre sint under sîme fuozvuohe, wan von nôt müezen alle crêatûre ir wesen nemen in gote, nochdenne die verdüemeten in der helle die müezen belîben ûf etwaz sînes wesennes. Went sie niht belîben in gote in der sêlekeit, sô müezen sie ûzer ime belîben wider ir willen in der verdüemunge. Waz tôrheit ist daz, daz man bî dem niht wil sîn, âne den man niht sîn enmac!
Saint Luke writes for us: “When our Lord walked upon the earth in human nature, there was a rich man who desired to see Jesus. But he could not see him because of the multitude of the crowd, for he was small.” A saint says: he is truly rich who has much of God and of virtue. He who has much of worldly goods and little of God is poor and rich in nothing, for all things are as nothing compared with God. Therefore a lord once spoke whose household praised him for his great power and wealth. Then the lord said: “Truly, they have not praised me at all, for they have forgotten the greatest thing for which I am to be praised: that I am master of myself, able to command myself as I will.” This human being who desired to see Jesus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up a tree, so that he might see Jesus. Then our Lord said: “Come down quickly! I must be with you today.” Whoever wishes to see Jesus must run ahead of all things. What does it mean when a human being does not quickly run ahead of all things? It means that he has not tasted God. If he had tasted God, he would quickly run ahead of all things; not only would he run ahead of them, but he would break through all creatures. Whatever his love could leave behind, he would break through. That we cannot see God comes from the smallness of our longing and from the multitude of creatures. Whoever longs for high things is high. Whoever is to behold God must be of lofty longing. Know that earnest longing and abased humility work wonders. I say that God can do all things; but this he cannot do: refuse anything to the human being who is humble and of great longing. And wherever I do not compel God to do all that I will, there I lack either humility or longing. I say this upon my life, and say it with certainty: a human being could through longing come to such a point that he would pass through a wall of stone, as we read of Saint Peter, when he saw Jesus and through longing walked out upon the water.
Now I say: a thing which grows as it is being filled can never become full. It is as if someone took a vessel that could hold a cartload, and poured a cartload into it, but the vessel grew together with what was poured into it: then it would never become full. This signifies the soul: the more she desires, the more is given to her; the more she receives, the wider her capacity becomes. Who is Jesus? He has no name. Where does one see God? Where there is neither a yesterday nor a tomorrow: where there is a “today” and a “now,” there one sees God. What is God? One master says: if it must of necessity be that I speak of God, then I say that God is something which no sense can comprehend or attain; otherwise I know nothing of him. Another master says: whoever knows of God that he is unknown, knows God. Now Saint Augustine intervenes and says: God is something highest and supreme, which is common to all fruition. By this he means to say that God is something in which all creatures must of necessity be. For if one falls out of the hand of God’s mercy, one falls again into the hand of God’s righteousness. One must always remain in him. Of necessity the human being must receive his being in God and have fruition—indeed, in God himself, if he wills. But whoever does not wish to have eternal satisfaction and fruition in God himself must take it from things that are so paltry that they are far beneath the soles of his feet. For all creatures must of necessity receive their being in God; even the damned in hell must remain upon something of his being. If they will not remain in God in blessedness, then against their will they must remain outside him in damnation. What folly it is that one does not wish to be with him without whom one cannot be!