In Iob sermo 2

Second Homily on the Righteous and Blessed Job. Great matters require great narratives, and the brilliant histories of the righteous need both a brilliant tongue and a brilliant mind: a mind that contemplates the divine scriptures with sincerity, and a tongue that interprets divine things clearly, especially concerning the subject before us—I mean the sufferings of the blessed Job, which, traversing the entire world beneath the heavens, flash forth the lesson of endurance. Yet even if the subject matter overcomes our weakness, I know well that the grace of God provides speech, not because of the speaker’s worth, but because of the intercession of the fathers. But let us come to the narrative itself: “There was a certain man in the land of Uz.” It is necessary first to consider what power the introduction has, and why the historian composed the introduction with this phrase: “There was a certain man.” Since he was about to relate a virtuous life that greatly surpasses our condition, so that no one, looking at the extraordinary nature of the struggles, might think it an alien nature and not human, he first revealed the nature, so that you might marvel at the resolve—that, being human, he lived beyond human limits, and, while sharing a common nature with all, raised his soul above the world. “There was a certain man in the land of Uz.” He proclaims him both by his nature and by his land, so that, just as when you hear he is a man you marvel that he lived beyond human limits, so if you also learn the land from which such fruit blossomed, you may truly marvel what a rose sprouted among thorns.

Pay close attention. The land of Ausitis, then, was the land of Esau; for Ausitis is named from Esau. And it names the land of the profane and wicked Esau, as the Apostle says: "Let no one be a fornicator or profane, like Esau," so that you may marvel from what schools of vice such a fruit of truth blossomed. But not only did the land of Esau bear him, but also the very root of Esau; for he was a descendant of the one who is reviled. For Scripture says that Job was the fifth from Abraham. And how he was fifth, listen: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Esau, Esau begot Reuel, Reuel begot Zara, and Zara begot Job. So he had the succession from Abraham through Esau coming down to him. Thus it shows the root, so that you may marvel at the fruit. Who was Esau? A fornicator and profane. And who was Job? The one from the fornicator, this same chaste and marvelous man, now set before us for narration, who says: "If my eye followed another man's wife, then my wife would also please another man." Esau had intercourse with many women, being insatiate in licentiousness, but Job had the manner of his life as law, and was so far removed that he did not gaze at foreign beauties, and was so far from fornication and adultery that he did not even pay attention to women not yet betrothed, that is, to unwedded virgins. For one must use the clearer expression: He was so far from plotting against others' marriages that he did not even direct his eye toward an unwedded virgin, for whom there was no danger, for licentiousness. And who bears witness to these things? Job himself.

He says, "I made a covenant with my eyes, and I did not understand concerning a virgin." See to what extent the training of piety flourished in him. He trains the eye in piety, he trains the limbs in righteousness, and, bearing the succession from a fornicator, he shone with the greatest self-control. Esau was also a fratricide in intention; for even if the deed did not come to pass, the intention is accused. For it says, Esau said in his heart, "Let the days of my father's mourning draw near, and I will kill Jacob, my brother." The root, then, is fratricidal, but he who blossomed from the root is an arbiter of righteousness. That one made war on nature and considered his brother a stranger; this one considered even strangers brothers, he who says, "I became a father to orphans, and a husband to their mother." A case I did not know, I tracked down, and I put a stop to unjust men. And he who bears the succession from Esau, who considered others' property his own, appropriates all that belongs to others. Esau in his mind planned to kill Jacob; Job offered sacrifices for his sons, considering whether they had sinned in thought. For since that one plotted murder in thought, this great and noble athlete, fearing that these too might admit the poison of sin in thought, offered a sacrifice and one calf for sins. For Job said, "Lest my sons have thought evil things toward God?" Consider to what precision the training of his character attained. And what does he do?

Since Esau and Jacob, the ancestors, had been set in conflict with each other—not because Jacob agreed to evil, but because Esau initiated evil—he dissolves the discord of the ancestors by means of feasting and makes his sons dine with each other daily, so that the habitual table might dissolve the rust of wickedness. The sons of Job visited one another, being trained in concord from a young age, practicing peace, being schooled in harmony, and they ate and drank together. And he says they also brought the three sisters to eat and drink with them. And what benefit is this to the hearer? And why did he add the sisters’ commensality? In order to show to what degree of self-control their banquet was brought, and that there was no disorderly and unrestrained laughter nor licentiousness insulting the table; for this reason he introduces even the virgins feasting, in order to show that the character of the banquet was not insulted by drunkenness, but crowned by harmony. There was a certain man in the land of Ausitis: a dove among hawks, a sheep among wolves, a star among clouds, a lily among thorns, the shoot of righteousness in the village of injustice. And that man was blameless.

Pay close attention. The philosophers outside define a human being: What is a human being? A human being, they say, is a rational, mortal animal. These are the definitions the philosophers intend. But Scripture does not give such definitions. Rather, what does it say? A human being is blameless, just, true. If someone asks you and demands a definition of what a human being is, say to him: Blameless, just, true, abstaining from every evil deed. For one not attested by such accomplishments does not even exist as a human being. For if he has the form of nature but dishonors it by the wickedness of his choice, he hears from the prophet: A human being being in honor did not understand; he was compared to the senseless beasts and made like them. And that human being was blameless. This is no small praise. Examine the word, so that you may marvel at the intention. An accusation is one thing, a reproach another. For an accusation is brought against the gravest sins, while reproach occurs for the lightest faults. The author therefore wished to show that the righteous man was far not only from accusations but also from reproaches. No one accused him of doing great things, since no one even reproached him for doing small things. This is a great proof, whose life is in the middle blameless. For if you cannot accuse someone concerning adultery or murder, such a person is unaccused; but if you bring reproaches of insolence, slander, abuse, or drunkenness, such a person is free from accusations but falls under reproach. He therefore wished to show that he was far even from small and very slight faults, and he says: He was blameless, just, true, God-fearing, abstaining from every evil deed.

Hence also God, wishing to show Abraham that the first thing according to virtue is blamelessness, says to him: "But you, be pleasing before me, and be blameless." "Blameless" is understood as the peak of character. The Apostle Paul, however, since he had to deal with those from the nations who had been torn away from polytheism, gathered from vice, assembled from fornication and adultery, did not add the extreme of virtue, but as he came into the world filled with fornication and adultery, he wished to appoint shepherds of the world, since at that time the good things of virtue were scarce. Appointing bishops, he says to Titus: "Appoint bishops as I instructed you, if anyone is irreproachable." "Blameless" had no place then, because, as I said before, the peak of piety was scarce. Great is "blameless," intermediate is "irreproachable," and in evils even a small good is great. For this reason he said: "Husband of one wife." Not because this is now observed in the church—for the priest must be crowned with complete chastity and holiness—but because at that time, among those in fornication, it was a great thing, he says: "Appoint bishops as I instructed you, if anyone is irreproachable, husband of one wife"; not because he established this as a law, but because he made allowance for the error. For he knew that when the word of piety flourishes, nature itself will readily choose the good, and the selection of the better will occur. Blameless, just. Therefore it is not possible to become just without first becoming blameless. True. What does "true" mean?

The one who does not put on a false appearance in his countenance and have a different inner state, the one who does not feign temperance but is clothed in licentiousness, the one who does not display justice in his outward bearing but carries injustice in his heart—this one is genuine and immediately pious. For when blamelessness is present, when justice is present, when truth is present, then true piety is perfected. "Abstaining from every evil thing." Since many abstain from many sins but do not abstain from all, wishing again to set forth the peak of virtue, he says: "Abstaining from every evil thing." Hence also David says: "You who love the Lord, hate evil things." For it is not possible both to be pious and to be wicked. He also sets forth his possessions, that he had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred grazing donkeys. Why does he set these forth? Not because he admires the wealth of Job, but leaving to you, the hearer, the magnitude of his substance, so that when you see him later stripped of his possessions and not groaning, you may marvel that, deprived of so many goods, he does not deny the benefactor, does not insult the creator. These things were written, then, not that you may admire the wealth, but that you may praise the endurance and patience of the righteous man, and always have the fear of God before your eyes. The sequence will reserve the contemplation for another time.

For the devil, brothers, when he saw him wealthy with this temporary wealth, and from this temporary wealth perceived the eternal wealth being stored up, just as justice had grown rich along with him when he was rich, so too virtue will share his poverty when he is poor. So he tries to strip him of his money, in order to strip him also of his advantages. Here let those who say the following pay close attention: Was Job not rich? Was Abraham not rich? Why then do you set before us the ideal of poverty? I too will say to you: Become rich like Job, and I pray that you acquire even more; become like Abraham, and the whole earth will join in praying for your wealth. Say also, as Job said, "My door is open to every one in distress"; say, "I warmed the shoulders of the poor"; say, "From the shearing of my sheep the shoulders of the poor were warmed"; say, "And the mouth of a widow blessed me"; and be wealthy with the wealth you wish. For you will be found to be wealthy not for yourself, but to be managing wealth for the poor. For he says, "My door is open to every one in distress." Imitate this extreme love of the poor; put on the zeal of patience; act manfully against adversaries; think the same thoughts. But let this suffice for now. May it be that we, having zeal and patience, also have a clear grasp of the sequence of what remains, and that you demand from us what is lacking, and that we pay you the sequence of the discourses. And may it be that we genuinely celebrate the feast, and, having shared in the sufferings of the saints, also share in the passion of Christ.

Truly, brothers, the sufferings of the saints justly shone forth before the Passion of Christ. For the sufferings of the righteous shone forth like lightning, so that afterward Christ might appear, as Paul says, who suffers with all and is glorified with all. Therefore, in accordance with the prayers and intercessions of the holy fathers, and having followed what has been said, and anticipating what remains, let us send up glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.