Sermon 77 — Let us make humankind in our image and likeness

Pfeiffer Sermon 77Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram (Gen. I, 26).

Got sprach: „wir wellen machen den menschen nâch unserm bilde.“

Waz ist gotes sprechen? Der vater siht ûf sich selber mit einer einvaltigen bekantnüsse unde siht in die einvaltige lûterkeit sîns wesens. Dâ siht er gebildet alle crêatûren, dâ sprichet er sich selber. Daz wort ist ein klâr bekantnüsse, unt daz ist der sun. Gotes sprechen ist sîn gebern. Got sprach: „wir wellen machen.“ Die meister sprechent: war umbe sprach got niht: wir wellen tuon oder wellen wirken? Tuon daz ist ein ûzwendic werc, dâ der inner mensche niht zuo kumt. Wirken kumt von dem ûzern menschen unde von dem inneren, aber daz innerste der sêle kumt niht dar zuo. Dâ man ein dinc machet, dâ muoz daz allerinnerste in die ûzwendikeit komen des menschen.

Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram (Gen. I, 26).

God said: “Let us make the human being according to our image.”

What is God’s speaking? The Father looks upon himself with a simple knowledge and looks into the simple purity of his being. There he sees all creatures imaged, and there he speaks himself. The Word is a clear knowledge, and that is the Son. God’s speaking is his begetting. God said: “Let us make.” The masters ask: why did God not say, “Let us do,” or “Let us work”? Doing is an outward work, to which the inner human being does not come. Working comes from the outer human being and from the inner, but the innermost of the soul does not come to it. Where one makes a thing, the very innermost must come into the outwardness of the human being.

Dô got machte den menschen, dô was daz allerinnerste der gotheit vereinet mit dem machen. Ein heidenischer meister sprichet: got hât alliu dinc künsteclich gemachet. Der meister sprichet, der sun sî ein kunst oder ein list des vaters, mit dem er alliu dinc hât gemachet.

Got sprach: „wir machen den menschen.“ War umbe sprach got niht, wir machen die menscheit, Kristus einegete doch an sich die menscheit? Mensche unde menscheit hât underscheit. Swenne man sprichet mensche, sô verstêt man eine persône; swenne man sprichet menscheit, sô verstêt man aller menschen natûre. Die meister sprechent, waz natûre sî. Si ist ein dinc, daz wesen enpfâhen mac. Dar umbe einegete got die menscheit an sich unde niht einen menschen. Ez stêt in dem buoche Moysî geschriben, daz Âdâm wêre der êrste mensche, den got ie geschuof. Und ich spriche, daz Kristus wêre der êrste mensche, den got ie geschuof. Alse wie? Ez sprichet ein meister: daz êrste in der meinunge ist daz beste von den werken. Dâ ein zimberman wil ein hûs machen, daz êrste in der meinunge ist daz tach und ist daz leste von dem hûse.

When God made the human being, the very innermost of the Godhead was united with the making. A pagan master says: God made all things artfully. The master says that the Son is an art or a skill of the Father, with which he made all things.

God said: “Let us make the human being.” Why did God not say, “Let us make humanity,” since Christ nevertheless united humanity to himself? Human being and humanity are different. When one says “human being,” one understands a person; when one says “humanity,” one understands the nature of all human beings. The masters say what nature is. It is something that can receive being. Therefore God united humanity to himself and not a human being. It stands written in the Book of Moses that Adam was the first human being God ever created. And I say that Christ was the first human being God ever created. How so? A master says: what is first in intention is the best among the works. When a carpenter wishes to make a house, what is first in intention is the roof, and it is the last thing in the house.

Got sprach: „wir machen den menschen nâch unserm bilde.“ Dâ gab er ze verstên, daz ir mêr wêre dan einer, drî an den persônen und einer an dem wesenne. Sant Augustînus sprichet: dô er daz bilde suochen wolte in der sêle, dô suochte er ez in dem ûzern menschen; dô vant er vier gelîchnüsse unde drû kuppel unde zwei gesihte. Dô envant er des bildes niht. Dô suochte er ez in dem innern menschen, dâ vant er einz, daz dâ antwurte dem einveltigen wesenne nâch einveltikeit unde daz dâ antwurte dem underscheide der persônen. Dô vant er zwei antlit. Daz ein wirket niderwart, daz ander wirket ûfwart. Mit dem nidersten antlite verstêt si sich selber unde alliu ûzwendigu dinc. Daz oberste antlit hât zwei werc; mit dem einen verstêt si got und sîne güete unde sîne ûzflüzze; dâ von minnet si in hiute unde verstêt sîn morn niht. Dar umbe minne ich got hiute unde morn niht. Dar umbe geliget daz bilde an den drien kreften niht durch ir unstêtikeit. Ein ander kraft ist in dem obersten antlite, daz ist verborgen, in der verborgenheit lît daz bilde.

Fünf dinc hât daz bilde an im. Daz ein, ez ist von eim andern gemachet. Daz ander, ez ist geordent an im selben. Daz dritte, ez ist ûz geflozzen. Daz vierde, ez ist ime gelîch von natûre, niht daz ez götlîche natûre sî, mêr: ez ist ein substancie, diu an ir selber bestât, ez ist ein lûter lieht ûzer gote geflozzen, dâ enist niht mêr underscheides denne daz ez got verstêt. Daz fünfte, ez ist geneiget ûf daz, von dem ez komen ist. Zwei dinc zierent diz bilde. Daz ein ist, ez ist nâch im; daz ander, ez hât etwaz êwikeit an im. Diu sêle hât drie krefte, hier an gelît daz bilde niht, mêr: si hât ein kraft, daz ist ein wirkellîchiu verstentnüsse.

God said: “Let us make the human being according to our image.” By this he gave us to understand that there was more than one, three in the Persons and one in being. Saint Augustine says that when he wished to seek the image in the soul, he sought it in the outer human being. There he found four likenesses and three couplings and two faces. There he did not find the image. Then he sought it in the inner human being. There he found one thing that corresponded to the simple being according to simplicity and that corresponded to the distinction of the Persons. There he found two faces. The one works downward, the other works upward. With the lower face she understands herself and all outward things. The highest face has two works. With the one she understands God and his goodness and his outflowings. Through this she loves him today and does not understand him tomorrow. Therefore I love God today and not tomorrow. Therefore the image does not lie in the three powers, because of their instability. There is another power in the highest face that is hidden. In this hiddenness lies the image.

Five things belong to the image. The first is that it is made by another. The second is that it is ordered in itself. The third is that it has flowed forth. The fourth is that it is like him by nature, not that it is divine nature, but rather that it is a substance that subsists in itself. It is a pure light flowed forth from God, in which there is no further distinction except that it understands God. The fifth is that it is inclined toward that from which it has come. Two things adorn this image. The one is that it is according to him; the other is that it has something of eternity in it. The soul has three powers. The image does not lie in these. Rather, she has one power, which is an active intellect.

Nû sprichet sant Augustînus unde der niuwe meister, daz hier inne lige einerhande geziugnüsse unde verstentnisse unde wille, unt disiu driu enhânt niht underscheides, daz ist, daz verborgen bilde daz antwürtet dem götlîchen wesenne unde daz götlîch wesen schînet in daz bilde âne mitel unde daz bilde schînet in daz götlîche wesen âne mitel. Daz got in uns kome unde wir in in unde wir mit ime vereinet werden, des helf uns got. Âmen.

Now Saint Augustine and the new master say that within this there lies a kind of witnessing, understanding, and will, and these three have no distinction. This is the hidden image that corresponds to the divine being, and the divine being shines into the image without means, and the image shines into the divine being without means. That God may come into us and we into him, and that we may be united with him, may God help us. Amen.