Sermon 53 — The Lord says: whoever wishes to follow me

Dominus dicit: qui vult venire post me etc. (Matth. XVI, 24. Luc. IX, 23.).

Unser herre sprichet ‘wer zuo mir komen wil, der hebe ûf sîn kriuze mit williger marter unde verzîhe sich sînes selbes unde volge mir.’ Alliu dinc von nâtûra diu volgent zuo gote in etelîcher wîse. Daz viur ziuhet ûfwart unde diu erde ze vallende, unt dis gelîch ein ieglîchiu crêatûre suochet ir stat hie, alse sî got geordent hât. Hie von sprichet Origenes: dér mensche verzîhet sich sînes selbes, der süntlîchiu dinc lêzet mit strîte, dâ er an gewonet ist, unde verzîhet sich an dem teile, dâ er an gevellig ist, unde hebet alsô ûf sîn kriuze mit williger pîne und üebet sich an tugentlîchen werken. Daz wort triffet für baz. Basilius, ein heilige, sprichet: welch mensche lêzet diu dinc, diu hinder ime sint und under ime sint unt daz got niht enist, der hât sich selber gelâzen. Hie von sprichet sant Augustînus in einem buoche, dâ er sprichet von der sêle, daz si edeler ist unde sterker unde grœzer dan alle crêatûre, und ist gote an disen dingen aller gelîchest, sunder die engele, die sint edeler dan ir nâtûre, daz sie zuo êrste engozzen und entrofen sint von gotlîchem geiste unde habent ein enthalt an ime. Des enhât diu sêle niht. Si muoz sich giezen ûf lîchamen.

Hie zuo wellent etlîche liute wîslîche sprechen: sô got alleine ist einvaldic, war umbe er niht alliu dinc aleine enschüefe alse die engele? Des enmac niht gesîn, sprechent die meister. Zweirleige crêatûre enmohte got niht bewîsen. Dar umbe beschuof er manigerleie crêatûre, daz ir itelîche got bewîste und enmügent sîn doch niht mêr bewîsen denne ein tropfe wazzers bewîsen möhte des mers. Doch bewîset ein tropfe des meres mê und al der welte, denne alle crêatûre bewîsen mügent. Wan von tropfen möhte man machen ein mer unde von aller crêatûre helfe enmac daz niht komen, daz man got begrîfe. Dar umbe sprichet sant Grêgorius: diu sêle, der got erschinen ist, daz si in eteswâ bekennet, der sint alle crêatûre enge oder zemâle ze nihte worden.

Dominus dicit: qui vult venire post me etc. (Matth. XVI, 24. Luc. IX, 23.).

Our Lord says: “Whoever wishes to come to me, let him take up his cross with willing suffering, deny himself, and follow me.” All things by nature follow toward God in some manner. Fire draws upward and earth tends downward; and likewise every creature here seeks its place, as God has ordained for it. Concerning this Origen says: that human being denies himself who, with struggle, leaves sinful things to which he has become accustomed, and denies himself in that part in which he is prone to fall, and thus takes up his cross with willing pain and exercises himself in virtuous works. This word strikes still further. Basil, a saint, says: whoever lets go of the things that are behind him and beneath him, and whatever is not God, has let go of himself. Concerning this Saint Augustine says in a book in which he speaks of the soul that she is nobler and stronger and greater than every creature, and in these things is most like God, except for the angels. They are nobler than she by nature, because they were first poured forth and dripped forth from the divine spirit and have their support in him. The soul does not have this. She must pour herself forth upon the body.

Here some people wish to speak wisely and ask: since God alone is simple, why did he not create all things of one kind, as the angels are? The masters say that this could not be. Two kinds of creatures could not manifest God. Therefore he created many kinds of creatures, so that each of them might manifest God; and yet they cannot manifest him any more than a drop of water could manifest the sea. And yet a drop manifests more of the sea and of the whole world than all creatures can manifest of God. For from drops one could make a sea, whereas with the help of all creatures one could never come to comprehend God. Therefore Saint Gregory says: for the soul to whom God has appeared so that she knows him in some measure, all creatures have become narrow, or altogether nothing.

Zem dritten mâle triffet diz wort alzemâle: der alsuslîch marter lîdet, diu in zuo tôde bringet, der hât sich sîn selbes verzigen. Unser herre sprichet ‘Moyses, zuo mir enmac nieman komen, der dâ lebet.’ Dar umbe sprichet Chrisostomus: sol ich ein ander werden dan ich bin, sô muoz ich verkiesen daz ich bin. Daz muoz geschehen an der dêmüetekeit, wan sant Gregorius sprichet, daz niht dem menschen sô sêre vermöhte alse diu diemüetekeit, daz schône bewîset ist an Moysese, dô er sîniu schâf ze samne treip in ein tal, dâ er ruowen wolte. Dô sach er den bosch glüegen unde niht verbrinnen. ‘Ich wil gên unde wil sehen daz wunder.’ Dô sprach unser herre zuo ime ‘stant, Moyses, und enganc niht für baz! Ziuch ûz dîniu schuohe. Die füeze die bezeichnet die gerunge. Die sulnt blôz sîn und ûz gezogen von allen zergenclichen und tôtlîchen dingen; sô mac sich diu sêle unserm herren genzlîche erbieten. Ein heilige sprichet: hebet sich diu sêle ûf ungelîutert unde wil sich unserm herren erbieten, sô wirt si widergeslagen unde vellet ûf bœsiu dinc; alse daz ouge vrevenlîch wil sehen in die sunne, sô wirt ez sêrer unde blinder.

In the third place, this word reaches its full meaning: whoever suffers such a martyrdom as brings him to death has denied himself. Our Lord says: “Moses, no one who lives can come to me.” Therefore Chrysostom says: if I am to become other than I am, then I must renounce what I am. This must happen through humility, for Saint Gregory says that nothing has such power in the human being as humility. This is beautifully shown in Moses, when he drove his sheep together into a valley where he wished to rest. Then he saw the bush glowing and not burning up. “I will go and see this wonder.” Then our Lord said to him: “Stand still, Moses, and go no further! Take off your shoes.” The feet signify longing. They must be bare and stripped of all perishable and mortal things; then the soul can offer herself wholly to our Lord. A saint says: if the soul raises herself up while still unpurified and wishes to offer herself to our Lord, she is struck back and falls upon evil things; just as when the eye presumptuously wishes to look directly into the sun, it becomes sorer and blinder.