On Godly Virginity

Of the holy Mar Jacob of Serugh, Homily 27, On Virginity. On the barren woman who bore a son, and on the Creator who created creation to be established by him. If his mother were to abandon her child after she gave birth to him, it would be fitting that no son should come from her. And the Lord of the world, if he were to abandon his creation after he created it, it would be fitting that it should not exist from the beginning. He does not abandon it, for a woman does not abandon her child, even if he goes astray, so that creation does not go astray from its perfection. If his creation were only from the Creator, the Creator would be, and he would have no other name but this. And concerning that which went astray after its creation, it also sinned, and behold, it is called both man and sinner. And because he has a righteous judgment, he is just; and concerning that which he has mercy, behold, it is also called merciful. He is just in his judgment and strict in mercy, and full of goodness, and is found in him gentleness. From grace runs all governance, and in righteousness stands all his work. He is not hindered from justice when he has mercy, and where it is fitting, he is not deprived of his grace. Both justice and grace are beautiful to him, and each one to the other they assist, always when they are ready. He has mercy and he has judgment, and because of these, he is beloved and feared by those who are full of discernment.

His anger is his justice, his justice is his love, his love is his mercy. And he has wrath against that which has strayed from justice. Where he sees iniquity, he becomes just. And if humility meets him, he becomes gentle. For if he were to help the wicked, he would not be just. And if he did not have mercy on the humble, he would not be gentle. And whatever is just is also gentle. His governance is upright and exalted from on high. He is where he sees iniquity, drawing his spirit. And without his sight, iniquity flourishes and does not restrain him. And he is where, as soon as evil arises, the heat of his wrath is kindled against the doers of the evil that was done. There is one who runs in iniquity all his days and his life, and neither reproof nor discipline meets him. But at the end, if evil is accounted as done, justice arrives and draws its sword to strike him to destruction. In one place, his deeds are swallowed up with the wicked, and they are not saved, nor do they flee, nor are they pursued if they go. In another place, if one of the just is wronged, he begins to do a work of a word that is not good. Look at the righteous man, the people stoned him who hastened in haste, and not even his lineage came to the midst, lest they stone him. And because the word said, "Mary bore a leper," a pursuit of the word and of the stoners, and not of reproof.

He bound Isaiah and did not make him his Lord's Lord. And upon the one who was proud, the just one cast a burning place. There was a place where he showed his power within the signs. And he bent the mountain of his sanctity for the youths on their feet. In another place, upon one of his chosen, a woman of Gaza. And she did not follow him to the mouth of which we spoke concerning the just one. The mountain is bent, and Jezebel is loosed to the midwife. For she pursues the plunderer, and the plunderer causes to groan from the plunderings. And whoever stands, he desires that these be subdued to him. Lest all the course be not equal in one manner. For one swallows where he gains, and another does not. And from one he causes to groan, and to one he pursues mightily. The clay is formed, lest it say to the potter, "Come, see what he has done, or what he has not done." High wisdom is set upon the conduct of the world. And by it all the movements run with their offerings. By that knowledge of the form of the sun and the work of the moon, by it the troubled world is guided from God. Which hand pursues and which hand causes to groan is wisdom. And upon the one who is idle, that the profit of the sign is accustomed to subdue. What is not subdued, that which is of the third to the cities gives. And to the evil ones, their provisions in their boundaries. He did not rest in his work when he was giving. He gives light to the sun, and also extends changes to the moon.

He named the stars, and the mighty course to the powers. And he did not know what he had hastened in his paths. And it is not hindered when the rays of the sun spread. And light is poured from the day upon the earths. Not much came upon him that the Tursaya gave to the birds. In the heart of the seas, to the inhabitants, the water rises gently. The hair of thought did not trouble him from them, that from his sides not one drop falls to the earth. The fruits of the sand and the floods of rain and the waves of the sea, beneath a simple measure are set for divinity. The burden of the earth and the great weight of the whole world, it bears and stands, neither weary nor disturbed. All creation takes from him life every day. All that is in his place, and he simply distributes their sustenance. Even the course of the world, turbulent, is ordered by him. By that knowledge which is outside these courses every day. And where it follows and where it restrains from the pursuits, one is his thought of the course every day for the evil ones. Not that when he sees the iniquity that occurs and ceases, the high one becomes angry, that he is not a deceiver or a pursuer. And not that when he pursues mightily, you should think that anger stirred him and he was moved and pursued the iniquity he saw. He is as he is, both when he pursues and when he restrains. For God does not change from what he is.

And because the two worlds truly exist for him, he demonstrates here that judgment exists in the great world. To each one he gave the activity of being judged in it. And wherever he sees evil, he immediately executes judgment. He began the activity by which the world perceived that judgment exists. And wherever he shows what is stirred up by evil, he teaches that another world truly exists for God. What the activity of the people is pursued here in the place. The world learned that God has judgment. And when the doer of evil commits evil openly and it is not pursued, it shows that for that world his judgment is reserved there. And when it is not swallowed, it learns that judgment is reserved for the hereafter. And it greatly constrains both what is stirred up, that for both there is profit for the whole world. If all the activities were not pursued, what would demonstrate that God who executes judgment exists? And if every evil that occurs here were pursued, how would it be that another world is not believed to exist? If all who do evil had their evil ascend upon their own head, and all who do good had their good be rewarded here, then judgment and another judgment that is to come would not exist. It would be comparable and similar to the one who is behind it.

But because there are natures and there are forms, the other world and the Lord of the world exist. And when anger arises in judgment over an action, it shows that there is an anger that follows the unjust one. And when again it spares from an action and does not follow him, it confirms that there is judgment for that other world. Thus also, because his servants are persecuted, he saves one and spares another and does not save him. Great, fitting, and equal is the governance of glory, both when he saves and when he spares from salvation. From there he frees from the fire and from the beasts, but for others he leaves to be burned and does not free. He saved three and left seven without salvation, and all ten are his, whether to the water or to the fire. If he had freed all his servants from the punishments, the love of all would have been much less than the praise. And it would be said that he does not feel pain for his reasons, because for everyone who comes, he frees his portion from the punishments. And upon them come the signs that are the signs of his reasons, so that they know whether he saves them from distress. And he does not release anyone who swallows his reasons completely. And if he released, those who were distressed would not come. The glory of the servants that God has would be diminished if he freed and saved all from distress.

and among men it was said that He does not exist; and if He does exist, on what account did He hide from His friends? It was supposed that He sees His works when they are being destroyed; and He never saves, nor does He save any one of them from distress. And on this He saves, where He wills that the world perceive that there is a Lord for these works, who has power in Him. And on this He abandons (them) to endure sufferings in each place, so that the world may see the love of His works, how true it is. Where He abandons them to be burned, their love increases; and where He desires to save, He is revealed. And because of this, He does not save all His works, so that He not be praised alone when He is praised. He abandons them to die by the sword and by beasts, so that they may receive praise, how much they endure for His sake. And because of this, He saves some and abandons others, so that He may be praised and His works be praised with Him. When He saves, He takes all the praise for Himself; and when He does not save, He desires that they be praised with Him. He has mercy on them and abandons them to die for His sake, so that they may seek reward from Him openly. And that they may be praised even over the mountain and over the rock and over the beasts, their love for His sake is increased. And the world perceives that these works belong to God, for where distress leads to death, they draw near for His sake.

and let the love of His works be manifest in the whole earth; and let Him be praised on account of them by the seers. And let there be blessing to them for the sake of the cause of their actions. Let Him be praised, who is worthy of praise and acclamation. And because He does not deliver from distress, it is well for Him as if He delivers from afflictions. And one who is lacking in knowledge, in each place, is filled with the folly of His governance of the world, even by His own eyes, and is also made wise. And however wise, the one who errs in his presumption thinks that if He were in control of the order, He would arrange it for Him. And when He saw that iniquity would occur, He would abolish it; and when the wicked one grew bold, He would restrain him; and He would not allow that one of the righteous be consumed by affliction; and He would not permit the iniquitous to lift up his head. There was one who would cry out and destroy the world by His audacity, and would tend to the designs of the world that are not good. And when it was proclaimed concerning the wicked, He did not feel shame; that one was silent and filled with lamentations over the wicked. He also wished that if it were possible, a fire would fall upon the wicked and the iniquitous and burn them. O foolish one, do not err, you, like God. Why are you troubled? Take from Him His governance. Over the doers of iniquity, let your spirit drive forth a cry. You are not a partner of the evil ones; it is yours, and you are mistaken for them.

and to the righteous, when it is fitting, but it saves. Beauty adds to their beauties in their afflictions. But you, because you are hasty and agitated and full of arrogance, you are disciplined by the steward full of wisdoms. And from the wills that are served by him in the evil world, from that you diminish and upon that you add, you are reckoned. For wealth and poverty you are suited: from that one you take and to that one you give, if you are able. You even say that to this one with his gold is heavy, and to that other one, even from the bread of the day he is lacking. To this one a rich man until he errs even against God, and his neighbor, the poor man, until he murmurs against the Creator. To this one a careful man who thinks his gold is not diminished, and that other one, in his need, dies of his hunger. O poor one, who is hidden from him by the stewardship, do not be disciplined by the steward full of goods. It is fitting for him to bear wealth and poverty, and by their outcomes he is able to show what is endured. In poverty, behold, Lazarus beside Abraham, and in wealth again, behold, Abraham in the house of the kingdom. Both of these, one rich and one poor, behold, in one place, high and glorious, they dwell equally. And not to that one did his wealth give advantage toward evils, nor to that one did poverty abolish from goods.

and the good cause was his wealth to that rich man: from it he would give relief to both the rich and the poor. And poverty was to others a good cause: for it would bear, and it would reward, and to the angels it would make pleasing its recompense. And wealth and poverty were equal for him who would encounter them: even in both of them he can be pleasing, if he is a discerning one. In the body there is both the right and the left: and one part is weak and one part is strong, and the body is one. In the world there is wealth and there is poverty: and the world is one, like a single body that is not divided. And whoever says that poverty is for the sake of creation, let him say also that the left is for the sake of creation. For the body, both the right and the left are fitting: and each one assists the other every day in their functions. And the strong does not begrudge the weak: nor does the good part of the body suffer anything from it. And if the left does a work that is troublesome and harsh from it, immediately the right also runs to help. And for both of them there is one beautiful purpose: that each one serves the other every day lovingly. The body is the world in which there is wealth and poverty: and thus they are placed to help one another. The rich man is placed so that he may have compassion on the poor: and he cares for his own and fills all his needs.

The poor man is to serve and to minister and to be enslaved, and without rest he toils and sweats in the houses of the rich. For if poverty did not restrain his neck, he would not give himself to toil in the houses of the rich. He would consider whether there is in him a little strength, and he would not bow his head to minister like a poor man. And he would choose for himself a great work in the houses of the rich, and his desires would also be left unfulfilled and not accomplished. Therefore the wisdom of the Lord is the daughter of the poor, that for the rich there remains a remnant in their affairs, that their pride might cease before the rich, to be enslaved and to serve their affairs. So the poor man is also bound to be enslaved, and the rich man is greatly bound to have mercy. And again for the poor man it is fitting that he humble his spirit and bear sickness and poverty without healing. For the rich man, mercy is seemly for him toward the poor, and he becomes one who fills all his needs. He is not puffed up, he is not arrogant, he is not haughty; he does not think that the poor man is not of his kind. He does not exalt himself, he does not look down upon the poor; but one kind is known and equal before them, like the right and the left placed in the body, for that one who is like the body and the world as it pleases him.

Look at him, at the body, which has a member that is set for the poor man. And from the members, that one is honored more than his companions. O rich man, behold, the poor man is your member. And for your honor, the Lord of his own makes him toil. He is from your race, he is from your clay, he is your kinsman. He is from your body; do not look upon him as a stranger. He sees his member stripped and does not clothe him, or that he is naked and does not care for him and cover him. The poor man is weak and stands like the left hand in the body. O rich man, like the right hand, draw near and support him. Do not think that your womb has been merciful and has given you much, and that for that one, the poor man is a burden and a cause of sighing. Wealth has been given to you, not to add a member to your body. And whatever is from you and external is not yours. The Creator is upright and sets his creation high above the lowly. And the taker is far from him, receiving with his face in all his affairs. They are equal in flesh, in members, and in forms, and the whole body is equal for the rich and the poor. They are equal in the embryo in the womb and in the grave, in birth and in death, and they do not know this one from that one. One is the nature of both the rich and the poor. And when the painter, with skill, paints their images, these that are without distress give equally to the senses, and to those without distress, he gives much to this one and little to that one.

He gave equally light and life to the whole body. And to the rich man he did not give more when he gave to him. He made equal and gave again a ladder that ascends to the poor. And of the rich and the poor, it is one only. From that ladder the king ascends and lives from it. From it also the beggar ascends without change. The light of the sun, that which in the palace of kings shines, while remaining unchanged, shines also among the dwellings of the poor. Wind and air, rain and dew, and the whole atmosphere: they go and come upon the rich and upon the poor. See the division of the divider: the tree and the fruit, that the high and the low may be sustained by it from the same source. He made equal the nature for him, and he made equal his creation when he created it. And he made equal and gave to it everything that is necessary for life from it. Life and light and ascent and word and sweetness, and the form of the body and the structure of the flesh without change. O you who reflect on divisions that are not beautiful: from them and in them learn and see how beautiful they are. See the painter, when he depicts the forms of a man: he does not take into account the faces, but distributes them equally. And to the poor and to the rich, when he paints, from one pigment and one likeness he depicts them. Because wealth is nothing, behold, you reflect; and that the body is something equal, you do not see.

In that high equality of the bed of that rich man, the foolish one begrudges the measure that is not just, that which distributes. And it is not possible that the measure distributes justly. And the equality is nothing for the limbs to receive it. It is not an equality that is beneficial to the body, but a measure. And this one gives to the rich and to the poor. And he caused to pass, he added and gave more to the poor, so that he might be benefited over the equality that is not abundant. The measure is in the body, but the equality is not from the body. And when it is in the body, it does not give victory to its senses. The rich man is buried in the desire for gold and precious stones, and his measure flees and even (devours?) him, the body, the vigil. And the place of the measure, that equality does not fill it. And behold, nothing is more than it when it is abundant. If he had made it so that one would sleep and one would not sleep, that one would conquer and this one would be conquered by the division. Now the measure that benefits the body is equal. In the bed of the high one, there is no increase and no decrease. What increase is there in the vessels that are set in the house of the rich, which cannot be counted, that he might taste as he wishes? And if one adds something to the body, it does not receive again, for it becomes heavy upon him, and he casts it away, and it does not taste it.

And the garments of the rich man, if he had but one, he would desire. The body of the branches of the fig trees sufficed him when it was spread out. And however much more than one of the excesses, the body of the garment does not follow you except one. And the body cannot taste again the excess. Behold, equality covers and places and conceals the blemishes. Behold, the poor in the streets are sent forth like beasts. And a moth falls in the blemishes, yet among the rich. But God did not create the rich in this way, that they should be equal and excommunicated and cease from good things. But that they should be merciful and compassionate, and fill all the lacks of the poor. And they give clothing to the naked, to the one who is sent forth from their blemishes, even a covering to the naked. And that rich man who has gold would know that the steward of the house has spread out his coverings for him. And he who has would fear that he might also make a thought, that everyone who is upright, as he spreads out his coverings. And if he does not have mercy, the mercies do not touch him there. And these witnesses that were spoken of from Abraham. If his good deeds he alone receives them, to the abundance of waters it becomes closed, and it does not give to him. And because of this, even the blessedness of the merciful is written in the Gospel, that for them there are mercies.

The sin of the heart is to love the son of his own flesh more than another. But if he loves, he has swallowed from bitterness. Do not wonder at the son of your flesh, O Lord, I speak. I remind you of your creation, lest you err that he is of your kind. It is not gold that your body is, yours and his, clay. Rather, you are both fashioned clay, both you and he. And he is of your kind, that wretched one who is cast off and abandoned. Turn aside, make mercy for the son of your flesh, and then you will pass on. Adam, the father of all, begot you also. And you are brothers, O rich one, have pity on your brother. See God, as it were, gave him a body like yours. Both his forms and his limbs are yours. Behold, it is revealed to you that he is your brother. And without wondering at the son of your flesh, it is said to you. It is not a stranger from whom you wonder, he is your relative. And for your relative it is written that you should be compassionate as for yourself. And if you do not pity your kind when he is abased, do honor to the image of your Lord as a divider. And if you have compassion on the wretched one, do not be anxious for yourself. God has honored the image of that greatness. And if you have forgotten the writing of Moses, the new mother of baptism teaches you: see, do not err. Behold, the Messiah, clothed in wretchedness as you are clothed, and from within the waters, your brothers are the only ones.

Or do not wonder at the son of your flesh, as it is written. Or at him whose image the Great One made, he has done honor. Or at him who is clothed in baptism and is your brother. It is fitting that he not be cut off from the Church. In the body of the world, behold, the orders are arranged like members. Both the rich and the poor are one body. O rich one, be merciful in the world through love. And you, poor one, see, do not murmur against the Creator. Praised is the Creator who made wealth and poverty, for from the rich and from the poor is his praise.