Sermon 96 — Whoever hears me will not be put to shame

Pfeiffer Sermon 96Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Qui audit me, non confundetur (Eccles. XXIV, 30.).

Diu êwige wîsheit des vaters sprichet ‘swer mich hœret, der schamet sich niht, (schamet er sich ihtes, sô schamet er sich des, daz er sich schamet). Swer in mir wirket, der ensündet niht. Swer mich offenbâret unde mich vorhtet, der sol hân daz êwige leben.’ Zuo dem êrsten wil ich sprechen, daz diu êwige wîsheit sprichet ‘swer mich hœret, der schamt sich niht. Swer die wîsheit des vaters hœren sol, der sol inne sîn unde sol dâ heime sîn unde sol eine sîn.

Driu dinc hindernt uns, daz wir niht hœren mügen daz êwige wort. Daz êrste ist lîplîcheit, daz ander manicvaltikeit, daz dritte ist zîtlîcheit. Hête der mensche disen drin abe gangen, sô wonete er in êwikeit unde inme geiste unde wonete in einekeit und in der wüestunge unde dâ hôrte er daz êwige wort. Nû sprichet unser herre ‘nieman hœret mîn wort noch mîne lêre, er habe dan sich selben gelâzen.’ Wan der gotes wort hœren sol, der muoz gar gelâzen sîn. Daz selbe, daz dâ hœret, daz ist daz selbe, daz dâ gehœret wirt in dem êwigen worte. Allez daz, daz der êwige vater lêret, daz ist sîn wesen, sîn nâtûre und alliu sîn gotheit, daz offenbâret er uns alzemâle in sîme sune unde lêret uns, daz wir der selbe sun sîn.

Qui audit me, non confundetur (Eccles. XXIV, 30.).

“Whoever hears me shall not be ashamed.” The eternal Wisdom of the Father says: “Whoever hears me is not ashamed; and if he is ashamed of anything, he is ashamed that he is ashamed. Whoever works in me does not sin. Whoever makes me manifest and fears me shall have eternal life.” First I want to speak of what eternal Wisdom says: “Whoever hears me is not ashamed.” Whoever is to hear the Wisdom of the Father must be inward, must be at home there, and must be one.

Three things hinder us from being able to hear the eternal Word. The first is corporeality, the second multiplicity, the third temporality. If a human being had gone beyond these three, he would dwell in eternity and in the spirit, and would dwell in unity and in the wilderness, and there he would hear the eternal Word. Now our Lord says: “No one hears my word or my teaching unless he has let go of himself.” Whoever is to hear God’s Word must be wholly self-surrendered. That which hears is the same as that which is heard in the eternal Word. Everything the eternal Father teaches is his being, his nature, and all his Godhead; this he reveals to us wholly in his Son and teaches us that we are that same Son.

Der mensche, der dâ wære ûz gangen alsô, daz er wære der einborne sun, dem wære eigin daz eigen ist dem einbornen sune. Swaz got wirket unde lêret daz wirket er allez in sînem sune. Got wirket alliu sîniu werc dar umbe, daz wir der einborne sun sîn. Swenne got siht, daz wir sîn der einborne sun, sô ist gote sô gâch nâch uns und lît sô sêre unde tuot reht, als im sîn gotlîch wesen welle zerbrechen unde ze nihte werden an ime selben, daz er uns offenbâre allen den abgrunt sîner gotheit unde die füllede sînes wesens unde sîner nâtûre: dâ îlet got zuo, daz ez unser eigin sî alsô, als ez sîn eigin ist. Hie hât got lust unde wunne in der füllede. Dirre mensche stêt in gotes bekennen unde minne unde wirt enkein anderz dan daz got selber ist. Hâstû dich selben liep, sô hâstû alle menschen liep als dich selben. Die wîle dû einen menschen minre liep hâst danne dich selben, dû gewunne dich selben nie liep in der wârheit, dû habest denne alle menschen liep als dich selben, in einem menschen alle menschen, unde der mensche ist got unde mensche; sô ist dem menschen rehte, der hêt sich selben liep und alle menschen liep alse sich selben, unde dem ist gar reht.

Nû sprechent etlîche liute: ich hân mîne friunde lieber, von den mir guot geschiht, dan einen andern menschen. Ich spriche: ime ist unreht, ez ist unvolkomen. Doch muoz manz lîden, alse etlîche liute, die varent über sê in halbem winde unde koment über. Alsô ist den liuten, die einen menschen lieber hânt dan den andern, daz ist nâtûrlîch. Hête ich in alse rehte liep als mich selben, swaz ime dan geschæhe ze liebe oder ze leide, ez wære tôt oder leben, daz wære mir alse liep, daz ez in mir geschæhe, als in ime, unde daz wære rehtiu vernünftikeit.

The human being who had so gone out of himself as to be the only-begotten Son would possess as his own whatever belongs to the only-begotten Son. Whatever God works and teaches, he works entirely in his Son. God performs all his works so that we may be the only-begotten Son. When God sees that we are the only-begotten Son, God is in such haste for us and is so intensely moved toward us that he acts as though his divine being would burst apart and become nothing in itself, so that he might reveal to us the whole abyss of his Godhead and the fullness of his being and his nature. God hastens toward this, so that it may be as much our own as it is his own. Here God has delight and joy in fullness. This human being stands in God’s knowing and love and becomes nothing other than what God himself is. If you love yourself, then you love all human beings as yourself. As long as you love one human being less than yourself, you have never truly loved yourself, unless you love all human beings as yourself—all human beings in one human being, and that human being is God and human. Thus it is right with the person who loves himself and loves all human beings as himself; with such a person all is truly right.

Now some people say: “I love my friends, from whom good comes to me, more than another human being.” I say: that is not right; it is imperfect. Yet one must bear with it, as with people who cross the sea with only half a wind and nevertheless reach the other side. So it is with those who love one human being more than another; that is natural. But if I loved him as rightly as I love myself, then whatever happened to him, whether for joy or sorrow, whether death or life, would be as dear to me if it happened to me as if it happened to him; and that would be right intellect.

Dar zuo sprichet sant Paulus ‘ich wolt êwiclîche gescheiden sîn von gote dur mînes friundes willen unde dur got.’ Nû merkent: einen ougenblik von gote gescheiden, daz ist êwiclîch von gote gescheiden, unde von gote gescheiden sîn ist helschiu pîne. Waz meinet sant Paulus mit dem worte, daz er sprichet, er wolte von gote gescheiden sîn? Nû vrâgent die meister: ob sant Paulus wære ûf dem wege der volkomenheit oder in ganzer volkomenheit? Ich spriche: er stuont in ganzer volkomenheit, er möhte sîn anders niht gesprochen hân.

Diz wort wil ich tiutschen, daz sant Paulus sprach, daz er von gote gescheiden wolte sîn. Daz hœhste unde daz næhste, daz der mensche gelâzen mac, daz ist, daz er got dur got lâze. Nû liez sant Paulus got dur got: er liez allez daz, daz er von gote nemen unde geben mohte, und allez, daz er von gote enpfâhen mohte. Dô er daz liez, dô liez er got dur got, dô bleib ime got, dâ got istic ist sîn selbes, niht nâ einre enpfâhunge sîn selbes noch nâ einre gewinnunge, mêr: in einre istikeide, daz got in ime selber ist. Er gap gote nie niht noch er enpfienc nie niht von gote: ez ist ein ein und ein lûter einunge. Hie ist der mensche ein wâr mensche und in disem menschen vellet kein lîden, alse wênic als in gotlîch wesen gevallen mac, als ich mê gesprochen hân, daz etwaz in der sêlen ist, daz gote alsô sippe ist, daz ez ein ist unde niht vereinet. Ez ist ein, ez hât mit nihte niht gemeine noch ist dem nihte niht. Allez daz geschaffen ist, daz ist niht. Nû ist diz aller geschaffenheit verre unde frömde. Wære der mensche allez alsô, er wære alzemâle ungeschaffen und unschepfelich; wære allez daz alsô, daz lîphaftic ist, verstanden in der einekeit, ez enwære niht anders dan daz diu einekeit selber ist. Fünde ich mich einen ougenblik in disem wesenne, ich ahte als wênic ûf mich selben als ûf ein mistwürmelîn.

Saint Paul says concerning this: “I would willingly be eternally separated from God for the sake of my friend and for God’s sake.” Now take note: to be separated from God for a single instant is to be eternally separated from God, and separation from God is the pain of hell. What, then, does Saint Paul mean when he says that he wished to be separated from God? The masters ask whether Saint Paul was still on the way to perfection or already in complete perfection. I say: he stood in complete perfection; otherwise he could not have spoken in this way.

I will explain this saying of Saint Paul, that he wished to be separated from God. The highest and nearest thing a human being can let go of is to let go of God for God’s sake. Saint Paul therefore let go of God for God’s sake: he let go of everything that he could receive from God or give to God, and everything that he could obtain from God. When he let go of all this, he let go of God for God’s sake; and then God remained to him as God is in himself—not according to any receiving of God, nor according to any gaining of God, but in the sheer is-ness in which God is in himself. He never gave anything to God, nor received anything from God: there is one One and a pure union. Here the human being is a true human being, and no suffering can fall into this human being, any more than suffering can fall into the divine being. As I have said before, there is something in the soul so closely akin to God that it is one and not united. It is one; it has nothing in common with anything, nor does it stand in any relation to anything. Everything that is created is nothing. This is far from and alien to all createdness. If the human being were wholly thus, he would be entirely uncreated and uncreatable. If everything bodily were grasped in this unity, it would be nothing other than unity itself. If I found myself for a single instant in this being, I would esteem myself no more than a tiny dung-worm.

Got gît allen dingen glîch, und alse sie von gote vliezent, alsô sint sie glîch; jâ engel, mensche und alle crêatûre die vliezent von gote glîch in irm êrsten ûzfluzze. Der nû diu dinc næme in irm êrsten ûzfluzze, der næme alliu dinc glîch. Sint sie nû in der zît alsô glîch, sô sint sie in gote in der êwikeit vil glîcher. Der eine fliegen nimet, als si in gote ist, diu ist edeler dan der hœhste engel an ime selber sî. Nû sint alliu dinc glîch in gote unde sint got selber.

Hie ist got alse lüstlîch in dirre glîcheit, daz er sîne nâtûre unde sîn wesen alzemâle in ir durgiuzet in ime selber. Daz ist alsô lüstlîch unde genuoclîch, daz ez unsprechlich ist. Ze glîcher wîse, als der ein ros lât loufen ûf einer grüener heiden, dâ ez zemâle eben unde glîch wære, des rosses nâtûre wære, daz ez sich zemâle ûz güzze mit aller sîner kraft mit springenne ûf der heiden: daz wære ime lüstlîch unde wære sîn nâtûre. Alsô ist gote lüstlîch unde genuoclîch, dâ er glîcheit vindet, dur daz, daz er sîne nâtûre unde sîn wesen dâ alzemâle ûz gieze in die glîcheit, wan er diu glîcheit selber ist.

God gives equally to all things, and as they flow from God they are equal; indeed, angel, human being, and every creature flow equally from God in their first outflowing. Whoever took things in their first outflowing would take all things equally. If they are equal even now in time, they are far more equal in God in eternity. Whoever takes a single fly as it is in God takes something nobler than the highest angel is in himself. Thus all things are equal in God and are God himself.

God takes such delight in this equality that he pours his nature and his being wholly into it within himself. This is so delightful and so satisfying that it is unspeakable. It is like a horse allowed to run on a green heath that was perfectly smooth and level: the horse’s nature would be to pour itself wholly forth with all its strength, leaping across the heath; this would be its delight and would accord with its nature. So too God delights and rejoices wherever he finds equality, because there he pours his nature and his being wholly into that equality, since he is equality itself.

Nû ist ein vrâge von den engelen, die hie mit uns wonent, uns dienent und uns behüetent, obe die iht minre glîcheit haben an irm fröiden, dan die in der êwikeit sint, oder ob sie iht gehindert werden, daz sie unser hüetent und uns dienent? Nein sie niht. Ir fröide ist niht deste minre und ir glîcheit; wan daz werc des engels ist der wille gotes unde der wille gotes ist daz werc des engels: an sîner fröide, an sîner glîcheit noch an sînen werken wirt der engel niht gehindert. Hieze got den engel varn an einen boum unde dar abe rüepen lesen, der engel wære dar zuo bereit und ez wære sîn sêlikeit unde wære der wille gotes.

Der mensche, der nû alsô stêt in dem willen gotes, der wil niht anders dan daz got ist unde daz gotes wille ist. Wære er siech, er wolte niht gesunt sîn. Al pîne ist in ime ein fröide, alliu manicvaltikeit ist ime ein blôzheit und ein einekeit, stêt er rehte in dem willen gotes. Jâ hienge helschiu pîne dar an, ez wære ime ein fröide unde sêlikeit. Er ist lidic und ûz gangen sîn selbes, und alles des, daz er enpfâhen sol, des muoz er lidic sîn. Sol mîn ouge sehen die varwe, sô muoz ez lidic sîn aller varwen. Sihe ich blâ oder wîze varwe, diu gesiht mîns ougen, daz dâ siht die varwe, daz selbe, daz dâ siht, ist daz selbe; daz dâ gesehen wirt mit dem ougen, dâ inne ich got sihe, daz ist daz selbe ouge, dâ inne mich got siht: mîn ouge unde gotes ouge daz ist ein ouge und ein gesiht und ein bekennen und ein minnen.

Now there is a question concerning the angels who dwell here with us, serve us, and guard us: whether they possess less equality in their joy than those who are in eternity, or whether they are hindered because they guard and serve us. No, not at all. Their joy and equality are no less, for the angel’s work is God’s will, and God’s will is the angel’s work. The angel is hindered neither in his joy nor in his equality nor in his works. If God commanded an angel to go to a tree and gather caterpillars from it, the angel would be ready to do so, and this would be his blessedness because it would be God’s will.

The human being who thus stands in God’s will wills nothing other than what God is and what God wills. If he were sick, he would not wish to be well. Every pain is joy to him; all multiplicity is nakedness and unity, provided he stands rightly in God’s will. Even if the pain of hell depended upon it, it would be joy and blessedness to him. He is free and has gone out of himself, and he must be free of everything he is to receive. If my eye is to see color, it must be free of every color. If I see blue or white, the seeing of my eye that sees the color and that which is seen are one and the same. The eye in which I see God is the same eye in which God sees me: my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, and one loving.

Der mensche, der alsô stêt in gotes minne, der sol sîn selbes tôt sîn und allen geschaffenen dingen, unde sîn selbes als wênic ahten als eins über tûsent mîlen. Der mensche blîbet in der glîcheit und in der einekeit, in in vellet kein unglîcheit. Dirre mensche muoz sich selben und alle dise welt gelâzen hân. Wêre ein mensche, des alliu disiu welt wære, und er si lieze alse blôz dur got als er si enpfienc, dem wolte got wider gen alle dise welt und ouch daz êwige leben. Unde wære ouch ein ander mensche, der niht hête dan eins guoten willen, und er gedæhte: herre, wære disiu welt mîn und dannoch zwô (unde swie vil er möhte begeren), ich wil dise lâzen unde mich selben alsô blôz, als ich ez von dir enpfienc: dem menschen gæbe got als vil, als er ez allez mit sîner hant hête enwec gegeben. Ein ander mensche, der niht enhête lîplîches noch geistlîches ze lâzenne noch ze gebenne, der mensche lieze allermeist. Der sich zemâle lieze einen ougenblic, deme würde zemâle gegeben. Unde wære ein mensche zweinzic jâr gelâzen, næme er sich selben wider einen ougenblik, er enwart noch nie gelâzen. Der mensche, der gelâzen hât unde gelâzen ist unde nie mêr gesiht einen blik ûf daz, daz er gelâzen hât, unde stête und unbeweget blîbet und unwandelliche in ime selber, der mensche ist alleine gelâzen. Daz wir alsô stête und unwandelbære blîben, als der êwige vater, des helf uns got unde diu êwige wîsheit. Âmen.

The human being who thus stands in God’s love should be dead to himself and to all created things and should esteem himself no more than someone more than a thousand miles away. This human being remains in equality and unity; no inequality enters him. Such a person must have let go of himself and of this whole world. If there were a human being to whom this entire world belonged, and he let it go for God’s sake as bare as he had received it, God would give him back this whole world and eternal life as well. And if there were another human being who possessed nothing but a good will and thought: “Lord, if this world were mine, and two more besides it”—and however many more he might desire—“I would let them all go, and myself as well, as bare as I received it from you,” then God would give that human being as much as if he had given it all away with his own hand. Another human being, who had neither bodily nor spiritual things to let go of or give away, would let go most of all. Whoever let go completely for a single instant would be given everything completely. And if a human being had been self-surrendered for twenty years but took himself back again for a single instant, he would never yet have been truly self-surrendered. The human being who has let go and is self-surrendered, who never again casts a glance at what he has let go, and who remains steadfast, unmoved, and unchanging in himself—this human being alone is truly self-surrendered. May God and eternal Wisdom help us to remain steadfast and unchanging in this way, like the eternal Father. Amen.