SERMO 47
DE OVIBUS
In Ezekiel 34:17-31
17 "As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must muddy the rest with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
20 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
25 "I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them; they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD. 31 And you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord GOD."
God made for Himself sheep which He might pasture.
The words we have sung contain our profession because we are the sheep of God. Nor do we improperly ask with tears for His mercy, whose sheep we are. For we have said: Let us weep before the Lord who made us, for He is the Lord our God. Let no one despair, thinking they cannot be heard when they are weeping, for a certain necessity of Him hearing us is recalled: Because He is the Lord our God, who made us. He is our God; we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hands. Human shepherds, or even heads of families who are masters of the sheep, did not themselves make the sheep they have, nor did they create the sheep they feed. But our Lord God, because He is God and creator, made for Himself the sheep He possesses and feeds. Nor does another establish those He Himself feeds, nor does another feed those He Himself established. Therefore, let us weep before Him. For we are not in a good state when we are in this world. For when we please the Lord in the land of the living, then our tears will be wiped away, and we will praise Him who has freed us from the bonds of death, our feet from stumbling, our eyes from tears, that we may please the Lord in the land of the living, because it is difficult to please Him in the land of the dead. But there is also a way to please Him here, by imploring His mercy upon us, abstaining from sins as much as we can, and confessing and lamenting where we cannot. Thus we are in this life hoping for another life, weeping in hope—in fact, weeping in experience—and rejoicing in hope.
The overseers of the church are sheep and shepherds.
Therefore, having confessed in this song that we are his sheep, the people of his pasture, the sheep of his hands, let us hear what he speaks to us as to his sheep. Recently, in the previous reading, he was speaking to shepherds. But in the present and today’s reading, he speaks to the sheep. Thus, in those earlier words of his, we listened with trembling, and you with security. What, then, in these words of today? Shall we, in turn, hear with security, and you with trembling? By no means. First, because even if we are shepherds, a shepherd not only listens with trembling to what is said to shepherds, but also to what is said to the sheep. For if he listens securely to what is said to the sheep, he has no care for the sheep. Moreover, as we already mentioned to your Charity, there are two things to be considered in us: one, that we are Christians, and the other, that we are appointed leaders. As appointed leaders, we are counted among the shepherds, if we are good. But as Christians, we too are sheep with you. Therefore, whether the Lord speaks to shepherds or to sheep, we ought to listen to everything with trembling, and let not anxiety depart from our hearts, so that we may weep before the Lord who made us.
Let us hear then, Brothers, from where the Lord rebukes the wicked sheep, and what He promises to His sheep. And you, He says, are my sheep, thus says the Lord God. First, how great is the happiness to be the flock of God, if anyone considers, Brothers, even in these tears and in these tribulations he conceives great joy. For indeed he is not in that flock, whom wolves can ravage, or whose slumber robbers can capture. For it is said to him: You who shepherd Israel, of whom it is said: He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. He therefore watches over us while we are awake, and watches while we sleep. If then, for a human shepherd, the flock of a human is secure, how great should our security be, with God shepherding us, not only because He shepherds us, but also because He made us?
Let us heed the judgment of the judge.
Our one concern that is imposed upon us: to hear the voice of the shepherd. And now is the time to listen, because he has not yet taken up the time of judging. He who speaks, now remains silent. For he speaks in commandment, he is silent in judgment. Therefore, he says in a certain place: "I was silent, will I always be silent?" How did he remain silent when he said this very thing by speaking? He who says, "I was silent," is not silent, because even to say this itself: "I was silent," is not to be silent. Therefore, I hear you speaking in so many commandments, in so many sacraments, in so many pages, in so many books. Finally, I hear in this very thing that you say: "I was silent, will I always be silent?" How then did you remain silent? Because I do not yet say: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom." And I do not yet say to others: "Depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." And these very things I do not yet say, as now I proclaim. The last sentence which the judge will pronounce, writing with his own hand in the scroll, beyond which sentence nothing more will be judged, the parties do not hear: it is written as they go out. Both parties are astonished and uncertain, wondering which side or for whom the sentence of the judge will proceed. A great secret of the judge, from which the term 'secretarium' is derived. Great fear for those who are involved in the case; what he thinks and what he writes is unknown. And he is a man, and those about whom he judges are indeed men. But He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. And though He is the Creator, we the creature; He immortal, we mortal; He invisible, we visible; He did not wish to hide from us in this life what ultimate sentence He will declare in the end. No one says beforehand "I condemn" who wishes to condemn; no one says beforehand "I strike" who wishes to strike.
The patience of God leads us to repentance.
Great is therefore his gentleness, great is his mercy, great is his meekness. But if we do not abuse his patience to our wickedness, and, while he bears our sins, we increase sins upon sins as if to make a burden for him; as if he who does not labor while he bears should bear more. Our sins, which he still spares because he still endures, show his patience and accumulate our burden. Do you not know, he says, that the patience of God leads you to repentance? That is the patience which he calls taciturnity, about which he says: I have held my peace, will I always be silent? Therefore, when he reproved some and said: You who preach not to steal, do you steal? You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? And so forth, he said: Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance? Because he is good, because he is patient, because he sees and is silent, because he sees and endures, do you think him unjust? Do you not know that the patience of God leads you to repentance? And see if he will always be silent who is now silent. But you, he says, according to the hardness of your heart and your impenitent heart, are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works. Therefore, he is silent, but will he always be silent? Again, after enumerating some sins, he says: You have done these things, and I have been silent, that is: you have done these things and I have not avenged; you have suspected iniquity, that I will be like you. And truly, many think this, when they have done many evils and see nothing bad happen to them; not only do their evil deeds please them, but they also think they please God: impiety proceeds so far that an impious contemptor considers God to be like himself. And when God admonishes, teaches, exhorts, reproves, to bring to his likeness, not only does he not follow the likeness of God, but he wants to lead God to his own likeness. This is an iniquity greater than the sins themselves, from which he does not correct himself. You have suspected iniquity, that I will be like you. And what follows? I will reprove you. Why this? I have kept silent, will I always be silent? Therefore, brothers, since this sermon, which proceeds from the mouth of God, terrifies both me and you—for we all have one good hope in him, and we must all equally fear that if we offend him, we may not find what we hoped for, but experience what we have despised—let us all hear as the sheep of God, while he speaks who is silent, while he admonishes us, and not yet judges us who made us, while there is still time to listen, while it is permitted to read.
Let us endure the tares mixed with the wheat.
And you, he said, my sheep, this says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, and rams and goats. What do goats do here in the flock of God? In the same pastures, at the same fountains, and yet goats destined for the left mix with the right, and first endure before being separated. And here the patience of the sheep is exercised in the likeness of the patience of God. For the separation will be by Him, of some to the left, of others to the right. But now He is silent, you want to speak. But how do I say: You want to speak? Because He is silent. From the vengeance of judgment, not from the word of reproof. He does not yet separate, you want to separate. He tolerates mixtures who sowed. If you want the wheat to be purified before the threshing, by your wind, you will be badly winnowed. It was allowed for the servants to say: Will you, we go, and gather them? For they were upset, seeing the tares, and grieved that tares were mixed with the good seed. And they said: Did you not sow good seed? Where then did the tares come from? He gave the reason where they came from; yet he did not allow them to be pulled up before the time. Although the servants were indignant against the tares, they sought counsel and command from the lord. They displeased in the midst of the crop, but the servants saw that if they did something of their own will in plucking the tares, they would themselves be numbered among the tares. They waited for the Lord's command, they sought the command of their king: Will you, we go, and gather them? And He said: No. And He gave the reason: Lest while you gather the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. He calmed them from their indignation, nor left them in pain. For it seemed grave to the servants to have tares among the wheat, and indeed it was grave. But there is one condition of the field, another of the barn at rest. Endure, for you were born for this. Endure, for perhaps you were endured. If you have always been good, have mercy; if you were once bad, do not lose understanding. And who is always good? More easily, if God diligently examines you, He will find you even now bad rather than you always good. Therefore, these tares among the wheat must be endured, goats among the rams, kids among the sheep. But what about the wheat? At the time of the harvest, He says, I will say to the reapers: Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather my wheat into the barn. Therefore, the conjunction of the field will pass, the harvest separation will come. Now the Lord requires patience from us which He proposes in Himself, saying to you: "Surely if I wanted to judge now, would I judge unjustly? If I wanted to judge now, could I be deceived? If I, who always judge rightly and cannot be deceived, defer my judgment; you, ignorant of how you shall be judged, dare to judge so hastily?" Brothers, see how, to the servants wanting to uproot the tares before the time, this work was not granted even at the harvest. For He says: At the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers. He did not say: I will say to you. But what, if the servants themselves shall be the reapers? No. For explaining everything individually: The reapers, He says, are angels. Therefore, man enclosed in flesh, carrying flesh, or perhaps entirely flesh, that is, flesh in body, carnal in mind, do you dare to usurp a foreign office which will not be yours even at the harvest? This about separating the tares. What about the goats? When the Son of Man comes, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them, as a shepherd separates sheep from kids. And He will come, and He will separate. The harvest will come, and the separation will occur. Now, therefore, is not the time for separation, but for endurance. We do not say these things, Brothers, so that diligence in correction may sleep. Indeed, so that we do not come to that judgment incautiously, and, blinded by negligence, suddenly find ourselves on the left, discipline must be exercised, judgment must not be expedited.
Let us fear judgment.
What then does the Lord say? Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. I judge. Great security, He Himself judges, let the good be secure. No adversary corrupts their judge, no advocate deceives Him, no witness mocks Him. But as much as the good are secure, so should the wicked fear. He judges in such a manner that nothing is hidden from Him. For does God, in judging, seek witnesses through whom He may learn who you are? From where can He be deceived about who you are, who knew what you would be in the future? He questions you, not another about you. The Lord, He says, interrogates the righteous and the wicked. He questions you, not to learn from you, but to confound you. Therefore, having such a judge, whom no one can deceive against us, nor anyone for us, let us act so that we may not fear His coming judgment, but await and desire it. For do crops fear being put into the granary? Rather, they long for it and desire it earnestly. Do sheep fear being placed on the right? Rather, nothing seems as slow to them as when it is done. Truly, they say from the heart and with complete sincerity, when they pray: Thy kingdom come. But in these words, the wicked man's heart trembles and his tongue stammers. How then do you say: Thy kingdom come? Behold, it will come. What kind of person will it find you to be? Therefore, act in such a way that you pray with confidence. And if there is any error and sin in your conscience, you have in the prayer itself a cure: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. For God wished for you to be a debtor in such a way that you have a debtor. Indeed, by sinning you make yourself an enemy of God, but pay attention lest you perhaps have an enemy. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. What you do who can be found in sin, He who can judge no one of sin will do to you. But if as a man in sin, you do not spare your sinner, you neither consider your own condition in them, nor dread the future fall of your own frailty; what will He do to you, who judges so securely, like one who never sins?
Let us anticipate the face of God in confession.
Therefore, effort must be made for a pure conscience. And if perhaps any scruple is present, let us prevent His face by confession. Now in the psalm, when it was sung, we heard: "Let us prevent His face by confession." Let us prevent Him, lest He prevent us Himself. After confession, vengeance will not follow, if even you do not repeat iniquity after confession. Prevent before you are prevented. For it is certain that He is coming. You will perish if you do not desire what is to come. For even if you are unwilling, He will come. Will you delay Him by refusing to have Him come? Just as He knew the hour when He ought to be judged, so He knows the hour when He ought to judge. He will come, you see to what you will become. Today there is a scruple, today let there be confession, today let the scruple be renounced. Today it is forgiven, today it is released. It is not for you to say: "God defers forgiveness." You do not defer your medicine. For you have something in your soul that torments you. And if it torments, it also troubles. Surely, if there were any stone in your home that offends your eyes, you would command it to be removed, especially if you were about to receive a somewhat greater guest in your home. So when you invoke God, you call Him within you. How will He come to you, to whom you have not cleansed the place where you will receive Him? But are you less able to remove from your heart what you have made for yourself? Invoke Him to cleanse it; invite Him to enter it. However, do now what you are going to do, while He speaks by advising and remains silent by judging.
God judges between sheep and sheep.
He mentions goats, he mentions rams, and he judges between them. And what does he say to them? Is it not enough for you that you fed on good pasture? And you trampled the rest of your pasture with your feet, and you drank the water that settled - that is, which was pure and tranquil - and you disturbed the rest with your feet: and my sheep fed on what was trampled by your feet, and drank the water disturbed by your feet. What does this mean? The pastures of God are good, and the springs of God are pure. We have these in the Holy Scriptures. So who are those who drink from what is tranquil and feed from what is clean, and trample the remnants and disturb the water so that other sheep take the trampled grass and drink the disturbed water? And surely you see that this displeases the shepherd, who says as these things are done: I judge between one sheep and another, surely so that these things may not happen. There are many who learn quietly, teach disruptively, and while they have a patient teacher, they become fierce with the learner. For who does not know how quietly the Scripture itself teaches us? So then someone comes, reads the precepts of God, reads and understands, understands quietly drinking from what is tranquil, feeding from what is green and clean. Someone else comes to hear something from him. He becomes indignant, disrupts, accusing the slowness of someone understanding later, making the disturbed one understand less what he could have heard quietly.
May God remove delay, grant truth.
And I do not say this, Brothers, because there is never a time when hardness must be corrected, which such great tranquility of truth itself corrects, saying: O foolish and slow of heart to believe! If these things are done with that love by which we wish to instill care in people, to incite diligence of attention, and perhaps to clear the cloud of their mind, which they have contracted from worldly cares, and perhaps while thinking about other useless things, they cannot hear what is useful. Then also, if anyone sees tardiness in themselves, it is not without reason that they are accused, so that they may ask God and dissolve the tardiness, grant the truth. For if by our negligence we understand less of what we have heard, negligence must indeed be corrected. Or if it is tardiness, when it has been accused, there will be a reason to pray to God. Therefore, such teachers should not be blamed, but those who do this with a bitter mind, with an envious mind, they trample the pastures and disturb the fountains. Whatever they may know, they want to know it in such a way that others do not know it. Men of malign mind, full of Tartarean zeal, envying not in body but in heart, they read and understood. When asked: "Does this matter much to you, should I believe these things from you? And are you worthy to read or hear these things?" Why do you disturb the water? The fountain flows for both. Why do you trample the common herbs? It did not rain because of you that they grew.