Sermon 359/B
A sermon of the same on obedience
"We are led to this city by nothing more than the love of your bishop."
The disturbance of yesterday was both ours and yours - and more ours because of you than yours - silence, I confess, was commanded; but because love commands us regarding the lord brother, whom it is necessary to serve - there is also in you a desire to listen, to which we pray that God may grant fruit in your conduct and obedience -, we serve you in the name of Christ, because we serve Christ to whom you are members. However, I confess this before God, in His sight and in yours, to whose ears my thought is a voice; I call Him as a witness over my soul, because it is not primarily any reason other than the love of your bishop that brings us to this city to speak to you what the Lord gives us. I do not speak of the love with which we love him, but rather of that love by which we feel we are genuinely loved by him without any pretense. For while you know us, in no way can you know us as we know each other who serve you in the love of Christ. For indeed we love you too, and you see, God knows. Nevertheless, dearest ones, you must know - I say this before Christ - that if you desired us more than all the things you desire, and felt even a little contrary will toward us in the mind of your bishop, you would not see us here.
"Having left the council of the Numidians, where the order itself required my presence, I chose rather to come here."
For he has now deigned to send us such letters, saying that if we were to think our coming should be delayed or if we were to deliberate on whether to come or not come, we would offend the very charity which is said to be God. Consider our weakness, committed in the middle of winter through such long journeys. Let your charity accept something else. Blessed and venerable old man Xanthippus, primate of Numidia, has called a council at Constantina on the fifth before the Kalends of February. The council has been called by the primate of Numidia for the bishops of Numidia, where we also are. In that city of Constantinus, as far as I judge, your charity knows that a bishop from our side is present. For he was nurtured in the word of God and served as a presbyter in the town of Thagaste, then from there he was made bishop in Constantina. I cannot tell you with what letters he wished to draw me there, so that I might go to Constantina: as he called the council, he removed all my delays and doubts. Yet, dearest brothers, such letters came from your lord and brother Aurelius the bishop to my humility, which, by the gravity of their sentences and their weight, conquered whatever I had previously decided, not bringing me, but seizing me. For I thought this, that not only with such confidence, but also with such a command, he deigned to order, not from himself, but from God, to say this to myself, that if I came here and conformed to his will - indeed God's through him - I could satisfy his letters for my departure from there before the lord old man Xanthippus, lest he might perhaps be angry with me because, leaving the council of Numidians, where the order of his rank required me to be present, I chose rather to come here.
"And there was confusion, and great sadness for us."
To what does all this that I have said pertain? Yesterday my eyes observed there was a space not filled by the brothers, close to both our ears and our tongue; we were not the originators of the idea to debate there instead, because we saw that it was necessary to follow them rather, so that they might come to the bishops, than for the bishops to come to those places with great disturbance of a larger crowd which had already established itself around the apse with a certain security of hearing: a much larger multitude would have been disturbed from those places to those places. But perhaps the men were to be overlooked, what about the weaker sex? Without a doubt, when the women began to press forward with the desire to approach, would they not have made even greater noise and uttered voices which were most unseemly in the church? Therefore, this was the only thing—to beseech those few, who were leaning against the rails, to condescend to approach the spaces nearest to the place where we were speaking. What greatness was there in this request? However, they did not even wish to hear it, and disturbance ensued, and great sadness for us, which God has now deigned to obliterate through the very venerable speech of your bishop. But from now on, brothers, we admonish you lest you think I was not granted the place by him to deliver the speech there, where it was so obstinately and tumultuously requested and demanded by some. Behold why I said all those things, because, if we had felt even a small grudge in the heart of our most blessed brother, we would not have come to this city — especially pressed by other necessities.
Why did Augustine leave without the bishop's permission?
What then? Does your charity not remember that for four continuous days I argued from that place in the middle of the barrier against the party of Donatus? Was it waited for so that you might ask? Was even a suggestion made by us? He himself willingly saw what needed to be done and did it; he did not see what needed to be done, he did not do it. But perhaps you say: "What great or difficult thing did we ask?" Even if what you asked for was small, the obedience which we demand from you is no small matter. Therefore, it is from this perspective that I shall speak. For I heard some brothers saying: "Behold, he himself argued that it is necessary to serve the weak. He argued this the day before, the next day he did not. Therefore, let us be served. Why did he descend?" I tell your holiness why I descended. For indeed, he ought more to excuse me, since I descended without his bidding. Yet my intention to descend was such that I did not even consult him lest he prohibit it. And, of course, if I had consulted him and he had prohibited it, I would have no choice but to obey: it was necessary that I should not descend. Therefore, I preferred to seek pardon for having descended without consulting him or being ordered, rather than not doing what I thought needed to be done.
Examples of the Church of Carthage become known throughout all of Africa.
Now just listen to why I thought this should be done. How this people has always obeyed their bishop when present, not only we know, but all of Africa and perhaps the entire world, wherever the Church of this city is known. For we all know what dissolution and confusion of women and men existed here before, because we were also part of this disgrace in past times. It happened by the Lord through his servant that the mixed sexes did not keep vigil. I, as a boy studying in this city, kept vigil with the women mixed in with the improprieties of the men, where occasion perhaps also tempted chastity. How honorably it is now kept watch, how chastely, how saintly! This diligence may not even displease those against whom it was instituted. The wicked themselves, the wanton ones, the insidious ones against another's chastity, can feel pained by this diligence, but they cannot blame it. But was this done only so that we might rejoice from this alone? What about the different entrances and ways in? How has it been taken care of, with what wisdom discovered, with what urgency perfected, so that those who, when they entered, were to be in separate places, would also enter separately, so that entering closely they would not begin something which they might want to complete afterwards, by servile, wicked and impudent people, who are accustomed to speaking shameless things in the face of passing matrons? How vigilantly these things were observed, with what vigor they were removed! In the church at Mappalia near the memory of the blessed bishop and martyr Cyprian, what used to happen, if we remember, perhaps we still grieve; if we forget, we give less thanks to God. Let your charity recall with us, brothers: I speak of the blessings of God upon you through your bishop. Where once shameless songs resounded, now hymns ring out; where people used to keep vigil for luxury, they now keep vigil for sanctity; finally, where God was once offended, God is now propitiated. I ask your charity not to forget these things: they are recent, they can be compared; they were there yesterday, they are not today. But when could your bishop have achieved these things unless he had an obedient people? So that I may speak of something, and not a small something, even about the good of your obedience, if your zeal did not consent to such an attempt by your bishop, could he have possibly fulfilled it in any way? Therefore, the mercy of God was present in his diligence and in your obedience. When we knew how accustomed you are to being subject, when we set you as an example to be imitated by others, so that we might say to the small peoples in the fields resisting their bishops: "Go, see the people of Carthage," then while we greatly rejoiced in your good example, how could we have been saddened yesterday, brothers, by your disobedience, as if our constant coming had taught you disobedience?
"It should not seem to you a light sin to be disobedient."
Therefore, let your charity attend. I grieved for the misery of my ministry that I might descend. You were asking to hear. What could the speaker edify when the listener was threatening ruin? "Why," you ask, "ruin? What great thing were we asking? What evil were we seeking?" I will say what ruin, I will say so that you may fear, not to fall. Do you not know that from a spark rises a conflagration? Do you not know that the smallest drops fill rivers and drag the depths? Let not disobedience seem to you a slight sin. Let us indeed say this: it made no difference whether you heard here or there; because there were spaces around us that could be filled by the multitude, both we knew and you. What else remained that you did not want to cross over here, if not sheer obstinacy: "Either it happens as we want, or what you want does not happen?" For we wanted you to hear, and what we wanted was beneficial for all. But certain ones, clinging to the barriers, when their irrational will was not agreed to, even shouted, "Let the dismissal happen." Certainly, how far were you and how slowly I said, "Let the dismissal happen," and behold all heard, because you patiently kept silent. What if we wished to test your obedience itself? "But in a small matter," someone says, "how would you test it?" If you did not obey in a small matter, would you obey in a greater one? Have you not read the Lord saying: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much?
On the evil of disobedience.
Do you wish to know what evil disobedience is, because I said: "Disaster was threatening the listener"? God planted all good things in His paradise. If He made all good things in the whole world, as Scripture says: "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good," if all things were good, how much more the things that He established more joyfully in paradise. Therefore, where He had planted all good things, what does it mean: Do not touch this tree? Do you not know that men usually make an inquiry about this, who cannot see either how good obedience is or how evil disobedience is? Behold, everything good had been planted. Do not touch, God said. "Why should I not touch? Did you place something evil here? If you placed something evil here, remove it, and do not forbid me to touch it." "Do not touch this tree," He said, which certainly, if it were not good, would not be in paradise. Or do you perhaps think that because God had filled the whole earth with all good things outside paradise and planted evil in the paradise itself? And indeed in the rest of the land there were good things, but certainly better things in paradise. Nevertheless, because obedience was better among all the good things that were placed in paradise, God forbade something, lest by forbidding nothing He might not rule. And what? Perhaps someone thinks that God wanted to rule out of His own pride. The dominion of God is useful not to God, but to whom He governs. He is neither lessened by our contempt nor greater by our service. It is advantageous for us to be under such a Lord, not for Him. He wants to rule over us for our benefit, not for His. He requires none of our good, we are in need of all His good, and especially of God Himself, our highest good. For our highest and best good, beyond which there is nothing better, is God Himself. Watch the confessing servant, listen to him from the Psalm: "I said to the Lord, You are my God, for You do not need my goods." Therefore, God forbade something to impose a command, so that He might be served as a ruler, so that obedience might be distinguished from disobedience as virtue from vice; and that tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not because there hung there fruits of good and evil, but it was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if man touched it against the command, he would experience in that tree what the difference was between the good of obedience and the evil of disobedience. For from that tree, disregarding the command, death followed; by keeping the command, immortality would follow. You see, therefore, my brothers, how great an evil disobedience is: it was the first ruin of man.
In Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive.
Certainly we wish to rise from this fall: why do we repeat where we fell from? Let Adam suffice, Christ came. In Adam all die, in Christ all shall be made alive. From Adam, the root of evil, disobedience, entered the human race; in Christ, the root of immortality, obedience. Therefore, Adam was an author and example of disobedience to us, but Christ of obedience. And how was Christ obedient? Although He is equal to the Father, He says He serves the Father. Surely you acknowledge with me, Catholics, the Catholic faith; you acknowledge: "I and the Father are one;" you acknowledge: "He who sees me sees the Father;" you acknowledge: "And the Word was with God, and the Word was God;" you acknowledge: "Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped." For equality was not robbery to Christ, but nature: for whom it was robbery, standing he fell; for whom it was nature, descending he remained. Indeed, let the same Apostle Paul expound the commendation of the obedience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is worthwhile to recall and hear the whole chapter itself. Behold, see the equal Son to the Father in the form of God, but read what follows: "Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” “But what did he do?” "But emptied himself." “How did he empty himself? I fear he lost his equality.” Do not suspect: hear what follows, hear from where he emptied, hear that he did not empty by losing what he was, but by taking what he was not. "He emptied himself," he says. “How? I ask you, now say.” "Taking the form of a servant." “Who took the form of a servant?” He who was in the form of God – there he was, here taking – taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men – made surely in the mother whom he made – being made in the likeness of men and found in human form. “But we were talking about obedience. We have said many things now, and we haven't heard obedience. I heard he emptied himself, heard he took the form of a servant, heard he was made in the likeness of men, but prove that he did this by obeying.” Finally hear: being made in the likeness of men and found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death.
Christ the Lord made himself the servant of man.
Let us consider the Lord as a servant: does the Lord listen, and the servant despise? Let no one say in his heart: "But He did this because He is the Lord." What did He do because He is the Lord? Did I say this to you: "Light the sun, let the moon run with its monthly losses and gains; make the stars shine from the sky, let the springs gush forth from the earth, let the animals walk, birds fly, fish swim?" Finally, did I even say this: "Open the eyes of the blind, break the ears of the deaf, drive the fever from the sick, raise the flesh of the dead?" I say none of these things: He did these things as God, I demand obedience from you which He offered as a servant. I demand, I say, obedience. Through immortality, you will be like Him, through obedience, He became like you. He will give you His life, for He accepted your death. But you say: "He obeyed God the Father." To whom, indeed, are you commanded to obey? For He obeyed God the Father, as an equal. Do you think there is a difference because He served God the Father and you are told: "Obey your bishop?" For who placed the bishop over you, to whom you should obey? Have you forgotten the Gospel: He who hears you hears me; he who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me? Finally, you say: "He served the Father." What if He served you too? Are you both His father and mother? For He deigned to have a mother here, not a father, to show both His marvelous generations, divine and human: divine without a mother, human without a father - and yet He was a child subject to His parents (read the Gospel), in childhood subject to His parents, in divine majesty the Lord of parents -, yet you are not His mother, though He served you as well. For He did not only teach us to serve by word, but by example. It was not enough for the Lord to say to His disciples: Serve one another. The Lord indeed commands it to be done: surely it ought to suffice because the Lord commanded it. Was it expected that He should show what He commanded? Truly, would any of us dare to demand that our Lord first fulfill what He commanded? And yet, with none of us daring to demand it, He gave an example from Himself for the disciples to serve one another: Whoever, He said, wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant. And immediately, lest the disciples be saddened by the servile name and say to Him: "So, Lord, will we be servants, whom you have redeemed? Will we be servants, for whom you shed your blood? Do we not recognize the merit of our freedom in your price, your blood?", He consoled their possibly sad pride, not yet healed: He, said, will be your servant, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. Behold, He became our servant too, and we are not His mother. Or perhaps we are even His mother? These are my brothers and my mother, who do my will.
The bishop, while he commands what is useful, serves.
"But behold," says someone, "let my bishop take an example from my Lord, and serve me." I say to your charity - who can, let him understand -: Unless he served, he would not command. For he serves who commands what is useful, serves with vigilance, serves with care, serves with solicitude, serves finally with charity. For even he who was made a minister here, certainly commanded his disciples. Hear him commanding and them serving: Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for you? And he sends whomever he wishes where he wishes, and he ordered it to be prepared where he wishes. What he commanded was done, and yet he served more; for he did not lie saying: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. How did he not come to be served, but to serve? Behold, I see the disciples running, preparing the Passover, arranging the dinner. How did he not come to be served, but to serve? But what to serve? He follows: And to give his life for his friends. Do you wish to know what he served us? From this we live today and today we feed from his table, which he then served.
The obedience of the disciples and others in preparing the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
Go, he said, into the village opposite you, where you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘What are you doing? Why are you untying the colt?’ reply, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and they will let you take it. They heard, went, and did so. Did anyone resist, did anyone say, ‘Why does he want the colt brought to him? Surely the one who raises the dead did not tire out by walking.' Listen, servant; do what he commands, certainly by him who wishes you well, by him who cares for your salvation. To question why he commands is to contend, not to obey. First be a diligent obeyer, so you may be a suitable questioner. Wash yourselves, be clean, are the words of the commander. Remove wickedness from your souls and from my sight, are the words of the commander. Learn to do good, seek justice, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow - have you done what he commanded? - and come, let us argue, says the Lord. The colt was untied from the village that was opposite them. What is the village opposed to the disciples, if not this world? Go to the village opposite you. This world is opposed to the disciples, falsehood opposed to truth, lust opposed to chastity, disobedience opposed to obedience. In this village which is the world, the colt was tied, which no one had ever sat on. Who is this colt tied in the opposed village, on which no one has sat, who if not the people of the nations bound with the devil’s chain, which no prophet had ridden? Untied, led, he carries God, is ruled by the Lord, is led by the Lord along the way, reminded by the Lord’s whip; and in those who obeyed to bring the colt, there was obedience, and in those who immediately let the colt go upon hearing that the Lord needed it, there was obedience. Whatever you understand those men to be. For perhaps they are the opposing powers that tied the colt; perhaps those men who tied the colt signify the devil and his angels, through whom the people of the nations were bound by deadly superstition: such is the power of the commander, that even they would not dare to hold what the Lord says he needs. What are you, my brothers? What do you wish to be? Those who untie the colt, or the colt itself? Forbid it that you should be those who tied the colt, and yet neither did those resist. What then do you wish to be, my brothers: those who untied the colt, or the colt itself? You do not dare to claim for yourselves the role of those through whom the colt was untied: this was done by the apostles. This is the role of those in charge: we bear it with all the concern that the Lord grants us, we speak to you from it. You are the colt, obey those who lead you to carry the Lord. Certainly, beloved, consider how the disciples untied the colt and led it to the Lord. They led, it followed; they didn't drag, and it did not resist. And yet, since we speak of our service, when the disciples were leading the colt to the Lord, they rather served the colt; so we also serve you when we lead you to the Lord, when we teach and admonish obedience: if your weakness were not served, today you would not listen to us.
The mother of obedience is love.