On Humility

On Humility His is the discourse of the sixty-first homily. On Humility With the word of the cross he redeemed the world, the Lord of the world, and subdued his pride through the living sign of his gentleness. Through humility he lowered the oppression of height and depth, and taught the way to walk in the path of humility. The hunt of the cross he cast upon all and captured all, and established the way in the living food of the word of his mouth. The fire of his love he cast upon the earth, filling it with thorns, and destroyed the arrow of death and brought forth life. With the light of his name he pursued the darkness of ignorance, and showed men the power of his essence, and they believed in his name. With the voice of his commandments he cleansed the world, which was lacking in understanding, and they tasted the sweetness of the life of one Son. With the waters of mercy he washed the men who were stained by iniquity, and they put on the beautiful adornment of righteousness. With the fire of the spirit he burned his image, setting all ablaze, and renewed his form spiritually, so that it might not again be corrupted. His spiritual golden fleece of the name of his essence, he placed in a height that cannot be reached by the envious. Through the renewal of his image he revealed to his servants the power of his wisdom, that wisely he might extend his own to his knowledge. With wisdom he made his image, through which he renews all, and bound man with the spirits through the cross of his name. The new path of humility which he set before his servants, he first trod upon it and came to his ordinances.

The word of the Father, who is wholly the likeness of his Father, through humility he desired to reconcile the divided world. The likeness of a servant the Creator took from mortals, and humbly he showed himself, hidden in the revealed. For he did not show his nature's existence to the eyes of the seers, lest the pride of arrogance snatch him away in deceit. The habit of a servant he put on by his will and was revealed in it, and his nature stood firm in that which he was without change. He concealed his incomprehensible self from his signs, and revealed his glory and showed his power through the humble one. Humility is the sign that taught the hearts of his house, and he humbled himself through the humble one who took his name. In us he shows his humility and the power of his wisdoms, not in his nature, neither humbled nor exalted. The likeness of a servant humbled himself according to what he knew, and did not boast in the hidden glories of height. In himself he established humility as a model, that men might see the sign for their standings and remove arrogance. Until death he humbled himself for the sake of men, and crucified with him his mortality, which he put on his body. He died for all and raised all by the power of his resurrection, and tended the world with the will that reconciled all in him. For this reason he humbled himself and descended to Sheol, that he might raise up the sign from the lowliness of mortality. And because he cast himself to death and raised all, also the Creator honored him with the name above all.

Through humility he conquered and was raised above death, and he also taught us that by humility one overcomes afflictions. And the humble one of his garment lowered his highness, when he took upon himself the simple garment of one who destroys himself. The rich one impoverished the wealth of his glories, when he was impoverished in what was not his as if it were his own. The freeborn one humbled himself and went out among slaves, yet the servitude of affliction did not enslave his liberator. The righteous one stood in his place with sinners, yet the labors of his self did not plead for his members. He who in his place showed us the way of humility, come, let us humble ourselves without being hindered from the kingdom of life. He shows us that by humility he took victory, and he exalted himself and his triumphs over humility. He taught us the living sign that is signified by it: he lived in smallness and in members toward humility. Through humility he sowed his teaching in the land of humanity, and humanity brought forth sweet fruits of humility. Through humility he hunted the world with a hook, and brought its catch inside from the nets of humility. Through humility he cast his net into the sea of humanity, and the catch of humility, which is his love, was filled. Through humility he proclaimed his words in the ears of all, so that the voice of teaching might not be hindered for learners. He called his gospel a living sign before hearers, so that the care of humanity might not be distracted from its service.

ment of his garment, and he showed that the lowly one who serves humbly is pleasing to God. And the humble one who bears a light burden of words for the one who errs, and if he is exalted in speech, he offers a sacrifice before his companions. Behold, the reward of the humble one is a good wage from his labors. Through him, the one who serves is likened to the one who receives from the work of the one who labored in the land of men and demons. Through him, the one who serves is likened to the one who is delivered from the difficulties that he trampled the yoke of death, meaning, in humility. From me, the one who serves learned to live for the living one, and behold, he is compared to the exaltation that is not bent. Through humility, the humble one conquered the high world. Come, be humbled in the depths of the abyss and take exaltation. Through humility, he silenced the tempter who leads men astray. Come, magnify for him a crown of victory through humility. Through humility, he trampled death that trampled the living, and he crushed his companions through humility in his own likeness. Through humility, he bound a debt to his own humility, so that it would not be loosed from the bonds of wealth. Through humility, he completed his will, the coals of his love, and he made the one who enters share in the praises that he received and inherited. Through humility, Abel offered the lamb of the humble, and the humble one was good, his will from his offering. The humble one in whom his will is with his offering, and he raises his sacrifice and the will of himself to the gate. Humility made him ascend above death, and it clothed wings that are not mortal with life.

or the humility of the whole world is the one who humbles himself, who brought forth his soul from the mouth of death, a lion of prey. And also the swift one, by humility, subdued his desire, and by the strength of his staff conquered the battle of the bitter waters. Or the heavy one who stamped his measure in the waters of shame, whose waves carried his heaviness and he was not stamped. In this path of humility, Abraham also proceeds, and strives and reaches the completion of the reward of recompense. He entrusted himself to humility as to a master, and learned from her to speak to the name of the Creator. Or the disciple who learned and taught himself and his own, and explained the mysteries of the name of essence to the sons of his race. Or the rich one who acquired wealth and humility, and did not become arrogant in his possessions like his own. He called the scattered dust his foundation before his Creator, and by making himself small, he made himself the head of the tranquil life. Abraham became like a mirror for the possessors of wealth, and they were not raised up by the cause of wealth over the humble. Do not boast before the small ones in the smallness of the sacrifice, for behold, the sacrifice covers your pride by its ashes. And the sacrifice passes, and wealth passes with its small things, and pride ceases, and the high neck descends to Sheol. Why are you proud of your own garment, you who are mortal? Why do you boast in possessions that do not belong to you? You are dust, and to dust you will return; your vessel of clay, which was mixed with his destruction, is broken.

Know yourself and humble your soul before the one who sees all. And wear down and soften the pride of your dust from your humility. Clothe yourself in humility in the likeness of a garment over your limbs, so that your body may wear a living garment of the life of the dead. Acquire humility, the great wealth that cannot be plundered, so that you may receive the wealth of life without end. Look at Abraham, who acquired wealth and humility, and became rich and ruled over earthly and spiritual things. Imitate Jacob, who humbled himself in earthly things and acquired the rank of humility and eldership. See the wonder that was wrought by his hand: humility changed the order that the Creator set for man. His humility helped the righteous one, outside the order, and gave the rank of eldership to the younger one. If humility had not been compassionate, it would have taken away the power that the righteous ones had by its natural strength and their authority. If it had not fled from pride, which weakens strength, it would have diminished its power by the hands of Esau before the humble one. Esau’s wealth humbled himself, hid, and was plundered, and he surrendered the rank of eldership to the one younger than him. Flee, every man, from pride, a harmful garment, for it cannot overcome in the contest the one who does not wear it. Put on, every man, humility, a good garment, which even for the weak gives strength and grants reward.

In this armor of humility, Joseph also was clothed, and he conquered the battle of the passions by means of patience. Humility also Moses put on in the likeness of armor, and he showed his voice to the wearers of the armor of sorcery. With humility he anointed his mind like an athlete, and he descended to the contest against the giants of the anointing of error. With humility he purified his body and sanctified his soul, and he translated his mouth into the voice of the proclamation of the mysteries. Humility the Separated One loved above all things, and by it he ascended to the high rank above all. Behold, the testimony of his humility within from his books, that Moses was humble, a man better than all. Also, see everyone who sees him, that he covered his face with a veil, and he gloried in glory and became a god among mortals. O humble one who humbles himself in a separated manner, and receives a reward greater than the labor of his humility. O son of the nature of the earthly ones, the common nature, who put on the glory of the memory of the garment of mortality. O wretched one, envious of life and short of dwelling, who stands before spiritual wealth and the name of God. In Moses, see how humility is exalted, that it gave a hand to the victory of the power of the Almighty. In him, the works of humility were confirmed, and they were not refuted by the reproach against pride. Against pride, the humble one armed himself, a humble soul, like an athlete who guards himself from his opponent.

armor. This armor of pride is a destroyer of men, and it does not befit a humble soul to be slack. Humble the passions of your soul from boasting, lest pride enter and plunder the treasure of your humility. Gather the limbs of your virtue and guard your treasures, and pursue the path of meekness from your thoughts. Put on the breastplate of humility against the armor, and take up the sword of the word of peace upon your lips. Do not give the enemy an opportunity to boast over you, lest he become emboldened against the weak and enter to kill. This foolish armor of pride is a slayer of men without mercy, and it does not look upon the greatness of the slaughter caused by its arrogance. It is a two-edged sword that is not softened by the sound of weeping, and like a lion it always rages to break a man. Break the firstborn of pride who fights against you, and lay low his body and humble his soul from arrogance. He spoke in a contemptuous voice and insulted his father, and turned his hand in a harsh song of the curses of wrath. His counsel made Esau a weakling who lost his rank, and through his petition he learned to transgress against the commandment. Through him Pharaoh the king was stirred up against Moses, and many Egyptians descended into the abyss without limit. With him also the arrogant ones of the priesthood of Jannes served, and they descended into Sheol without having died outside of the order. By the power of his boasting, Sennacherib raged against Hezekiah, and from silence he raised the voice of wrath and made it a mockery.

Gather the liars and translate with a voice of blasphemy in the mouth of the Rabshaqim, and stop his mouth with the voice of the proclamation of humility. Gather the liars, send them to the foolish king Rehoboam, and he became a counsellor of pride for the inheritance of the tribes. Also the Babylonian, with the armor of pride, subdued the peoples, and his pride turned his glory into a pit with beasts. Over all peoples he raised his sceptre and pursued everyone, and he did not know that with him his own limbs were being destroyed. And because the power of victory was not fit to conquer him, he cast aside and threw away the exousia that was with the beasts. Behold, the reward that pride repays to those who love it: flee, the weak, from its service which kills a man. Behold, his whole counsel was revealed, hidden in the testimony of the spirit, to a man who errs after his words as if they were eggs. Behold, it was shown that the end of his path is shame of face, and with a pit he stamps the foot of him who walks with him. Do not walk, O man, on the path of pride; leave haughtiness and go in the lowliness of humility. Do not boast in the fleeting gift that does not endure; see the many who have amassed wealth and left it in the earth. Do not be agitated by the name of authority that passes by; look and be amazed at the crowns of kings that are placed in Sheol. From among the kings, he removed his crown from the mouth of death, and from among them he gave wealth and took life without end. O man, do not boast and deceive yourself, for there is no death that does not have a lash that turns its dust.

The life of the sacrifice is set in the head of man, and not for eternity. And behold, the sign of the humility of his life at the gate of death. According to the life of his life, the sinner knows the dust of man, and by the hand of the humble one, he seeks his life toward the end. In the folly of his own accord, look upon the dust of how much it is humble, and humble himself so that he may not be ashamed even of his own accord. Humility is fitting for your name, O dust; why do you exalt yourself in the unfitting for the name of the living? You are a son of the race, O man of sinful men; be driven in the captivity of humility of the generation of the sinful. Travel in the full and fitting company with the ancients, and see that life is a fitting company of the labors of humility. Compare with David, how much he humbled the desire of himself, and did not boast in the greatness of the labor of his humility. See that his election, the fitting word, to the high rank, and he did not become slack in the slackness from his authority. Christ, with the spirit that became king and examiner, and he opened his mouth to the son from the people like a reject. He made his desire a temple of holiness for the spirit of revelation, and he persecuted every hour from the spirit of falsehood that dwells in Sheol. Strike every hour the hidden sign in the harp of himself, and pursue demons from the envy that is poured from him. When he was silent and the corpse of Sheol was cast out, the son of Jesse struck with the harp of the spirit and sang the mighty one. When he was stirred, he killed a man in the midst of envy; David cried out with the spirit of revelation and shook the rebel. And when again he meditated, he was stirred in envy from his market; he hid the sword that shed the blood of his helper.

The sick fool who casts himself into the pain of the demon and iniquity, he loosed the seal of the spirit of his anger in wrath. With two incurable pains he cast himself into Sheol, blind envy and the demon of the body of every man. The poison of the spirit, David set for the measure of his pride, and his hand was swollen, it became putrid and decayed, and he died in his sin. To Sheol, behold the swelling of the heart of the proud and the haughty, whom envy blinded and the rod of the uncircumcised killed. In David, behold also the humble, the merciful of the just one, who do not cry out at the voice of the shouts of the wicked. Do not despise for yourself the humble soul when it is victorious over you. See the son of Jesse, whose reward was Sheol, shame and affliction. Do not repay the one who does evil to you according to his offense, lest you be shamed by that voice which says "Forgive." Bind your love with the sweet yoke of humility, and do not be separated from spiritual labor. Travel in the company of the spiritual ones on the path of the books, and cast yourself into the understanding of the laws of humility. Read and comprehend the wondrous powers of the proclamation, and learn parables and the interpretation of hidden mysteries. Seek the division of the sign that is drawn against the rod, and see there two who pray before the All-Seeing. Behold the distinct, proud fool who boasts of himself, and who raised his voice, his rod made him without recompense. He did not lie in anything he said, for he did not deceive, but in fraud he showed his labors and descended shamefully. Behold the recompense of the proud fool who clothed himself in it, that it stripped him from the labor of the righteous works.

The judge was separating in the pains of the fool who fasted and was pressed, and he mixed the insolence with the alms of his alms. He [...] who heard the voice of the boast of the world, the reward. He looked at his stature and placed himself under humility. He saw that there are no labors that a man gives to the word of the mouth, and he bowed his eyes so as not to be left in the face of pride. He bowed his head and covered his face from the spectators, and he began to be calm like a guilty one who sinned and was found out. He gathered his limbs with his mind before the All-Seeing, and he began to strike himself on his stature in the depth of humility. He saw that he was entirely sealed in the blemishes of the wicked one, and he poured forth tears and shook his body and the movements of his soul. He raised his hand and struck himself with the rod of pain, and he condemned himself like a judge in the pains of the fool. With a broken voice he was pleading before the Judge, "Because of my sins I sinned, and it is not for me that I wronged your love." With the sound of his brokenness, the Judge was amazed and the orders of the king, and he sent forth mercies of their peace from the voice of weeping. "Cease, sinner," the mercies of the hidden sign cried out to him, "Behold, the king has commanded that their peace be sent to the side of your sins." "In the sea of forgiveness, your wickedness is forgiven in place of your humility; go, rejoicing, in the forgiveness of the wickedness that the mercies have given you." "Come, humble ones, see how humility is exalted, and receive the rank of the headship that is baptized in the sea." "Come to the tombs, like judges, with words of blemishes, that he may wash his blemishes in the baptisms of the humility of his soul." "From him who conquers like his own righteousness, the whole guilty one, who saw openly, set for him a crown that is woven in the sea.

He became righteous like a sinner whose name was iniquity, who hid his name with his debts by means of humility. He did not reveal the sweet secret of humility, for that was a hidden treasure which taught him the ways of victory. He did not destroy the bond of his debt, which was full of deceit, that he might bring the sinner to ask for mercy. She taught him the ways of supplication to cover the shame, and she formed for him a new thought in place of the signs. He was amazed at the boundaries of her fullness, which was filled with power, and he read in the air and cried out, "Life is to conquer iniquity." The power of her help was able to make the guilty one righteous, and the greatness of iniquity was considered as nothing for her persuasion. Paul witnessed and praised the power of her help, which raised him up and called him to the step of righteousness. In his humility, the desire of the one who called him to everything was revealed, and before his separation, he went to the teaching of his poverty. Sweet voices proclaimed his voice in the ears of men, and the ear was roused to hear the voice of the word of life. With sweetness, she cultivated the land of eloquence and gave fruits of righteousness to the master of the vineyard. Humility taught, plowed, sowed, and reaped, and men were chosen by the life of humility. By the sweetness of the great one, his chosen one was likened, as he proclaimed one confession of a certain witness. With humility, he uprooted insolence and sought truth, and even truth called him a wise one who seeks what is good. Come, humble ones, seek the way of your conduct upon the foundation of humility which Paul sought.

He taught that it is right to begin, and the peoples are placed upon the rock of faith. His voice became like a vision before your eyes, crying out and proclaiming that everyone should see where he seeks. One who seeks the gift of truth endures his labor, and one who desires a dwelling and burns with toil. Behold, it has shown you where one seeks in the petition of truth, and one chooses a dwelling that chooses the people of two sides. Humility is able to teach a beautiful entrance, and by it the petition of a man is perfected, even if he is deficient. There is no deficiency that is not filled by its completeness, and there is no layman who is not made wise by its cunning. It is a hundred years of rest that rests the soul with the members, and without end it guards the labors of righteousness. By it the temple of the body is purified, and the desire of the soul becomes a pure dwelling for the power of hiddenness. Why did I not turn back and build a dwelling for my hidden desire? But by rest and humility, listen to my words. O Creator, whose fullness fills heaven and earth, where can a foolish man find a dwelling for your love? I have not come to height and depth, and they are not sufficient for me, but by humility I will find a place to make a dwelling for my desire. Humility loves my desire more than gifts, and when there is no end, a man trembles to see the gifts of its love. She approached me with a humble spirit with her offerings, and by her my desire was kindled, and I received from her the revealed gifts. By her Moses the lawgiver became wise and stood, and in his simplicity he interpreted my hidden desires.

In this, the chosen Paul prepared himself against sufferings, and he saw that no one could cast his garment in the Spirit. Behold, he showed us a hidden sign of what he desired, and where he dwells in a place of dwelling willingly. With a humble spirit he chose a dwelling that is set firm, and when he left all that was his, he abandoned everything and settled in peace. He made the humble self worthy of blessings, more than all those who alone are worthy of a hidden dwelling in themselves. There is nothing greater than the power that sets firm all, there is no further knowledge greater than the dwelling that suffices for his name. If you do not build a temple for yourself in humility, so that it may become a dwelling and a hidden place for gentle desire within it. If you do not bear the burden of the staff, it will be lacking, so that the mother may repay evil debts to her creditors. Everyone, wherever he casts himself, is raised up, and the place that is proud in the arrogance of his heart is brought low to the ground. He who is humble is very proud in thought before God, and he despises and bears the conduct of his life to be seen in secret. See, O humble ones, do not be deceived by small things, lest you become supports for the hidden one who bears the staff. Rest a little in humility that you may gain much, so that according to the peoples, the reward is preserved for the humble. Hear the voice of the daughter of the Lord, the reward for the humble, who strikes the cord over what is narrow for the wretched selves. Everyone, a place that stumbles and is narrow for a small place, it would be fitting for him to be immersed in the depth of the sea. To humble the self that diminishes itself, the small one is hidden, so that he does not boast in the glorious things of the greatness of his labors.

He called the small one, Lazarus, by the word that is written, that he might be tossed between two pains of humility. Through afflictions and poverty he was oppressed, and he was wearied, and he did not feel the Spirit’s relief from his distress. And what was needed for the shepherds at the time of need, he acquired and was comforted by the delights that have no end. In the fullness of the life of the bosom of Abraham, he rejoiced with Lazarus, and he set forth a path for the humble to ascend to his heights. Come, O humble ones, journey in the company of the humble soul, and rejoice in the fullness of the bosom of Abraham with Lazarus. Behold, he set forth the parable of our Lord as a guide, that without stumbling, one may ascend humbly. In the form of a sign, the parable cries out in the ears of men: “Arise, clothe yourselves, and journey on the path of humility.” Like a flute, his voice is heard by all the proud, that men may see and not be puffed up like the rich. See the good deeds of that poor one who remained on the earth, and wealth did not go down with him to Sheol, as he supposed. See that he was stripped bare and did not quench his thirst from the stream, and he sought that his witness might turn to his brothers, but he did not cease. He gave a sign to the path with his face from all sides, and he closed the door before his own petition, that it was not received. Behold, he has shown us through Lazarus and the rich man how much humility is beloved and pride is despised. Behold, he has taught us about the reward of that rich man, that the blessings of the humble come to the weary according to their labors.

He called the father by the word that is written, that he might be humbled by the violence of faith. He called him father by deeds and not by names, that he might open the door of humility and receive him.