Homilies on Jeremiah

God is ready to do good, and slow to punish§1.1

Why the dates of Jeremiah's prophecy are written§1.2

God sent the prophet before the captivity, and even in it§1.3

1.3God condemned Jerusalem for her sins, and they had been judged to be left to captivity. Even so the God who loves mankind, when the time had come, sends this prophet also, starting two reigns before the captivity, so that those who were willing, taking it in, might repent through the prophetic words. He sent a prophet to prophesy under the second king after the first, and under the third, up to the very times of the captivity.

For the long-suffering God was giving a delay even, so to speak, one day before the captivity, urging those who heard to repent, so that the grim things of the captivity might cease. That is why it is written that Jeremiah prophesied 'until the captivity of Jerusalem, until the fifth month.' (Jeremiah 1:3) He had begun, and he was still prophesying, as if to say: you have become captives; even so, repent. If you repent, the captivity will not go on, but the mercy of God will stand over you.

So we have something useful from the record that gives the times of the prophecy: that God, according to his own love of mankind, urges those who hear not to suffer the things of the captivity. It is like this with us too. If we sin, we also are about to become captives. For 'to hand such a one over to Satan' (1 Corinthians 5:5) differs in nothing from handing those from Jerusalem over to Nebuchadnezzar. As they were handed over to him because of sins, so we are handed over to Satan because of sins — Satan who is a Nebuchadnezzar. And 'those I handed over to Satan, that they may be taught not to blaspheme,' (1 Timothy 1:20) the apostle says of other sinners.

Sin hands the soul to a spiritual Babylon§1.4

1.4See then how great an evil it is to sin, so that people are handed over to Satan, who takes captive the souls of those left by God. God does not leave without cause, and not without judgment, those he has left. For when he sends the rain on the vineyard, and the vineyard bears thorns instead of grapes, what will God do but 'command the clouds not to rain' (Isaiah 5:6) on the vineyard?

Because of our sins a captivity hangs over us too, and we are about to be handed over, if we do not repent, to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, so that the spiritual Babylonians may tear us. With these things hanging over us, the words of the prophets, the words of the Law, the words of the apostles, the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, speak to us about repentance and call us to a turning. If we hear, let us believe the one who said, 'I also will repent of all the evils which I spoke of doing to them.' (Jeremiah 26:3) So much for the preface (Jeremiah 26:3).

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you§1.5

1.5After the preface it is written that 'the word of the Lord came to him' (Jeremiah 1:4) — clearly, to Jeremiah. And what does the word of the Lord say to him? Something set apart from what was said to the other prophets. For we have found this said to none of the prophets.

Abraham was called a prophet in the word, 'He is a prophet, and he will pray for you,' (Genesis 20:7) and God did not say to him, 'Before I formed you in the womb I know you, and before you came out of the womb I have sanctified you.' (Jeremiah 1:5) Abraham was sanctified later, when he went out from his land and from his kindred and from his father's house. Isaac was born of promise, and we have not found this word said even to him. Why should I go through the rest? Jeremiah received a gift set apart: 'Before I formed you in the womb I know you, and before you came out of the womb I have sanctified you.' (Jeremiah 1:5)

Some refer the words to the Savior; the whole sequence must be kept§1.6

1.6We are not unaware that some refer these words, as greater than Jeremiah, to our Savior and Lord. And one must know that much of it agrees with him and can be referred to the Savior — I will set that out. But a few of the things said to Jeremiah press the argument, and cannot, as most people take them, be fitted to the Savior.

What then fits the Savior? 'To all to whom I send you, you shall go, and according to all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their face, because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.' (Jeremiah 1:7–8) These would not yet clearly seem to be referred to the Savior. But what follows puts the reading about Jeremiah in a tight place: 'And the Lord stretched out his hand toward me and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have given my words into your mouth. Behold, I have set you today over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to pull down.' (Jeremiah 1:9–10) What nations did Jeremiah uproot? What kingdoms did he overthrow? For it is written, 'Behold, I have set you today over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to pull down.' (Jeremiah 1:10) And what authority did Jeremiah have 'to destroy'? And whom did he build in such numbers that it should be said 'and to build'? Jeremiah says, 'I have not profited, and no one has profited me.' (Jeremiah 15:10) How then is 'to build and to plant' given to him? How will 'to plant' fit Jeremiah?

These things, referred to the Savior, do not press the interpreter, because in them Jeremiah is a symbol of the Savior. But what I am about to set down presses even the most intelligent person who wants to show how these too can fit the Savior: 'And I said, You who are, Master, Lord, behold, I do not know how to speak.' (Jeremiah 1:6) He who is Wisdom, he who is the Power of God, who brought us 'the fullness of the deity, which dwelt in him bodily' (Colossians 2:9) — how then can 'I do not know how to speak' fit the Savior? And 'I am younger' is forbidden to the Savior, as if he were saying it wrongly. For if the Lord says to him, Do not say this, it is clear that he forbids what is not well said. So these do not fit the Savior. Those other words do not seem to put the Savior to shame.

To say that these belong to Jeremiah and those to the Savior is not hard. But a fair-minded person will be much pressed here. To cut a connected run of words, and to say, 'These, being lesser, fit Jeremiah and not Christ, and these, being greater than Jeremiah, fit Christ and not Jeremiah' — that is the work of people without judgment. Let the whole, then, be referred to Jeremiah, and let even the things that seem greater than Jeremiah be interpreted.

Nations and kingdoms in the soul; the child who chooses the good§1.7

1.7Everyone who has received words from God and has the grace of the heavenly words has received them in order 'to uproot nations and kingdoms and to pull them down.' (Jeremiah 1:10) But if it is said that everyone who has received words from God 'uproots nations and kingdoms,' do not take the nations and the kingdoms for me in a bodily way. Look at human souls, ruled by sin, as the apostle said: 'Do not let sin reign in our mortal body.' (Romans 6:12) And seeing the many kinds of sins, take the nations and the kingdoms as a figure: the bad things in the souls of men, which are uprooted and pulled down by the words of God given either to Jeremiah or to anyone at all.

The first things, which press us as regards the Savior, can also fit Jeremiah; and the second things can fit Jeremiah for the one who knows how to read them as a figure. Someone among the hearers will say to me: Work the other reading too, and try to show that all that is written fits the Savior. Do not be anxious about the second things. It is clear that the Savior uprooted the kingdoms of the devil and pulled down the nations, taking away the life of the nations. Here, at what seems ill-sounding as regards the Savior, work the word somehow: how can the Savior say, 'I do not know how to speak, because I am younger,' (Jeremiah 1:6) and the rest? You see that the argument is in a tight place.

We know the Savior is Lord. We are seeking, according to the dignity of the Word and according to the truth, to refer these things to the Savior. Witnesses must be taken from the Scriptures. For our guesses, if they have no witness, and our interpretations, are not to be trusted. And 'every word shall be established at the mouth of two or three witnesses' (Deuteronomy 19:15) fits interpretations more than it fits men, so that I may establish the words of the interpretation by taking two witnesses from the New and the Old Covenant, taking three from gospel, from prophet, from apostle. For so every word will stand.

How then can we refer these things to the Savior? Bring the Old Covenant as a witness: 'Before the child knows good or evil, he refuses evil to choose the good.' (Isaiah 7:15–16) And these things are said outright about the Savior in Isaiah: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.' (Isaiah 7:14) And there it is added: 'before the child knows.' (Isaiah 7:16) And if an example must also be taken from the gospel: Jesus, not yet become a man but still a child, since 'he emptied himself,' was advancing. For no one who is already perfected advances; he advances who still needs advance. So he 'advanced in stature, advanced in wisdom, advanced in grace with God and men.' If he emptied himself coming down here, and emptying himself was taking again from what he had emptied himself of, having emptied himself willingly, what is strange if he also advanced 'in wisdom and stature and grace with God and men,' (Luke 2:52) and if what I set down from Isaiah is true of him: before he knows good or evil he will choose the good and refuse evil?

Not knowing how to speak is greater than human speech§1.8

1.8But someone will say: Even if you can refer 'he does not know' to the Savior, does it not offend you to say these things about the Only-begotten, about the firstborn of all creation, about the one announced before the conception according to the word, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you' (Luke 1:35)? And you say he does not know how to speak?

See whether you can see something worth saying, and great, about the Savior in this place: that not knowing certain things, he is greater in not knowing them than in knowing them. And I use his own voice as a witness that he does not know certain things. He says to those who tell him, 'Did we not eat in your name, and drink in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works?' (Matthew 7:22) 'Depart from me; I never knew you.' (Matthew 7:23) Does that 'I never knew you' present his power as lesser, or as greater and more wonderful, because he did not know the worse and those who are perishing? For he knew the things that matter, the better things, and 'the Lord knew those who are his,' (2 Timothy 2:19) and 'if anyone is ignorant, he is not known.' (1 Corinthians 14:38) So the sinner is not known by God.

Someone among the hearers will say to me: You have shown that he does not know the sinners; you have shown that he does not know those who work lawlessness, for they are not worthy of his knowledge. How will you show that it is a great and glorious thing for the Savior to say, 'I do not know how to speak' (Jeremiah 1:6)? Speaking is a human thing. To speak is to use a dialect: the speech of the Hebrews, say, or of the Greeks, or of some others. If you go up to the Savior and see him as Word 'in the beginning with God,' (John 1:1) you will see that he does not know how to speak, because speaking is human. He does not know it, because what he knows is greater than speaking. And if you compare the tongues of angels with the tongues of men, and see that he is greater even than angels, as the apostle bore witness in the letter to the Hebrews, you will say that he was greater even than the tongue of angels when he was God, the Word with the Father.

So he learns, and as it were takes on, a knowledge not of great things but of lesser and smaller ones. Just as I force myself to lisp when I talk with little children (for not knowing how to speak in baby-talk, being full-grown I force myself to talk with children), in the same way the Savior, being 'in the Father' and in the greatness of the glory of God, does not speak human things and does not know how to utter speech to those below. But when he comes into a human body he says at the beginning, 'I do not know how to speak, because I am younger.' (Jeremiah 1:6) Younger because of the bodily birth; older according to 'firstborn of all creation' (Colossians 1:15); younger because he came at the completion of the ages and visited this life later. So he says, 'I do not know how to speak' (Jeremiah 1:6): I know things greater than speaking, I know things greater than this human sound. You want me to speak to men? I have not yet taken up a human dialect. I have your dialect, O God. I am your Word, O God. I know how to speak with you. I do not know how to speak to men. I am younger (Jeremiah 1:6).

Do not say, I am younger§1.9

Formed in the womb, not made: God knows those who are his§1.10

1.10Whether it is said to Jeremiah or to the Savior, 'Before I formed you in the womb I know you' (Jeremiah 1:5): if you read Genesis and watch what is said about the making of the world, you will find that the Scripture, with a very fine distinction, did not say, 'Before I made you in the womb I know you.' (Genesis 1:26) For when the one according to the image was being created, 'God said, Let us make man according to our image and likeness.' He did not say, Let us form. But when he took 'dust from the earth,' he did not make the man; he 'formed the man,' and 'placed in the garden the man whom he had formed, to work it and to keep it.' (Genesis 2:15)

If you can, see the difference between making and forming. The Lord, whether to Jeremiah or to the Savior, did not say, 'Before I made you in the womb I know you.' (Jeremiah 1:5) For what is made does not come about in the womb; what is formed from the dust of the earth is created in the womb. 'Before I formed you in the womb I know you.' (Jeremiah 1:5) If the Lord knew all, he would not have said to Jeremiah as something set apart, 'I know you.' So God knows those who matter, God knows those worthy of his knowledge, and 'the Lord knew those who are his.' Those unworthy God does not know, as the Savior also does not: 'I never knew you.'

We, being men, as we advance, judge some things worthy of our knowing them. Some things we do not even want to hear, so that we may not know them. Some things we want to know. What of the God of all? Does he want to know Pharaoh? Does he want to know the Egyptians? They are not worthy of the knowledge of God. Moses is worthy, and each of the prophets of that rank. You must set many things right before God begins to know you. Jeremiah he knew before forming him in the womb. Another he begins to know at thirty years of age, another at forty. There are secret words here, not in question as regards the Savior, but as regards Jeremiah needing attention from those who have ears.

Sanctified before coming out of the womb§1.11

A prophet to the nations§1.12

1.12'I have set you as a prophet to the nations.' (Jeremiah 1:5) If you look for this in Jeremiah — 'I have set you as a prophet to the nations' (Jeremiah 1:5) — watch later on: he is commanded to prophesy 'against all the nations,' (Jeremiah 25:15) and there is a heading, 'What Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations,' (Jeremiah 25:13) against Elam, against Damascus, against Moab. And we have it that he 'prophesied against all the nations,' (Jeremiah 25:13) as regards the letter of 'I have set you as a prophet to the nations,' (Jeremiah 1:5) said to him.

If it is a matter of the higher sense: if of Jeremiah, we have already spoken; if of the Savior, what need is there even to say it? He truly prophesied to all the nations. For he is, as he is ten thousand other things, also a prophet. As he is high priest, as he is savior, as he is physician, so he is also prophet. Moses, prophesying about him, did not say only 'a prophet,' but said it with a special force: 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from your brothers, like me (Deuteronomy 18:15); him you shall hear, and it shall be that whoever does not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from his people.' (Acts 3:23)

This one, then, is also the prophet set 'to the nations,' and he received grace from God poured out on his lips, so that not only when he was present in the body, but also now, when he is present in power and in the Spirit, he may prophesy 'to all the nations,' so that from all the nations his prophecy may reach its end and draw men to salvation (Acts 3:22–23) (Psalm 45:2).

A child in body, a grown man within; do not fear their face§1.13

1.13'And I said, You who are, Master, Lord, behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am younger. And the Lord said to me, Do not say that I am younger, because to all to whom I send you...' (Jeremiah 1:6–8) We have often said that it is possible, according to the inner man, to be a child, even if someone is in an old age of body. And it is possible at times, according to the outer man, to be a child, and according to the inner, a man. Such was Jeremiah, already having the grace from God while he was still in the age of a child according to the body. That is why the Lord says to him, 'Do not say that I am younger.' (Jeremiah 1:7) And a sign that he is not younger, but 'a grown man,' is this: 'To all to whom I send you, you shall go, and according to all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their face.' (Matthew 13:57)

The Word of God knows that those who serve as ambassadors of the word are in danger among the hearers. For when they are exposed they hate them; when they are rebuked they persecute them. The prophets suffer every kind of thing. 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his house' (Matthew 13:57) — which we also recalled earlier. So God, sending the prophet, knows how many dangers he will take on, and he says to him, 'Do not be afraid of their face, because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.' (Jeremiah 1:8)

What Jeremiah suffered is written down. He was thrown into a pit of mire; he remained there eating one loaf a day and drinking water only; and ten thousand other things which his prophecy has made clear. 'Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?' (Acts 7:52) it is said to the Jews. And it is necessary that 'those who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus be persecuted in every case by opposing powers, through the vessels they find.' (2 Timothy 3:12) Therefore those who are persecuted must not be surprised, but must do everything, only praying that they be persecuted unjustly and not justly — not for injustice, not for sin, not for greed. And if someone is ever persecuted for righteousness, let him also hear, 'Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and say every evil word against you, lying, for my sake (Matthew 5:11). Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.' (Matthew 5:10–12) (2 Corinthians 4:16)

The Lord's own hand, not Isaiah's coal; kingdoms of the vices§1.14

1.14'Because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. And the Lord stretched out his hand toward me, and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me.' (Jeremiah 1:8–10) Watch the difference between Jeremiah and Isaiah. Isaiah says, 'I have unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips, and I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts, with my eyes.' (Isaiah 6:5) And since he confessed that he did not have unclean works, but only small words (for to that point he was a sinner), the Lord did not stretch out his hand. One of the seraphim touched his lips with his hand, and said, 'Behold, I have taken away your iniquities.' (Isaiah 6:6–7) But because this one was sanctified 'from the womb,' no tongs are sent to him, and no coal 'from the altar' (he had nothing worthy of the fire). The Lord's own hand touched him. That is why he says, 'The Lord stretched out his hand toward me and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have given my words into your mouth. Behold, I have set you today over nations and kingdoms, to uproot.' (Jeremiah 1:9-10)

Who is so blessed as to uproot, by the words given by God, the many kingdoms which 'the devil shows,' kingdoms of opposing powers, kingdoms according to the sins? For it is written, 'Behold, I have given my words into your mouth. Behold, I have set you today over nations and kingdoms, to uproot.' (Jeremiah 1:10) And as there are kingdoms, so there are nations. A kingdom cannot even be called a kingdom unless it has nations under it. For example: there is a kingdom of fornication, and the nations of fornication are each several fornication. There is one kingdom, the general sin of greed and of robbery, and there are many kingdoms in those who have many kinds of sins. Then, in each of the sinners, think of the nations under the kingdom: this man has many nations of the kingdom according to fornication, that man has many nations of the kingdom according to robbery, according to slander, according to anger.

It is the work of the words of God, sent out over 'nations and kingdoms,' (Jeremiah 1:10) 'to uproot and to pull down.' (Jeremiah 1:10) To uproot what? The Savior taught, saying, 'Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.' (Matthew 15:13) There are some things inside in the souls which 'the heavenly Father did not plant.' For all 'the evil reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies' (Matthew 15:19) are plants planted not by the heavenly Father. And if you want to see whose plants such reasonings are, hear that 'an enemy man did this,' the one who sowed 'the tares in the midst of the wheat.' (Matthew 13:25) So God stands by, having the seeds, and the devil. If we give 'place to the devil,' 'the enemy' sows a plant 'which the Father did not plant,' which will certainly be uprooted. If we do not give 'place to the devil,' but give place to God, God rejoices and sows his seeds on our governing mind.

Do not think, then, that Jeremiah received some grim gift from God, because he is set 'over nations and over kingdoms, to uproot.' (Jeremiah 1:10) God is good, uprooting through the words the bad things, the kingdoms hostile to the kingdom of the heavens, the warring nations against the nation of God. 'To uproot and to pull down.'

What is pulled down must also be destroyed§1.15

Then build and plant; I will kill and I will make alive§1.16

1.16But the words of God do not stop at 'to uproot and to pull down and to destroy.' (Jeremiah 1:10) Suppose the bad things have been uprooted from me, the worse things pulled down: what good is it to me if, in place of what was uprooted, the better things are not planted? What good is it to me if, in place of these, the things that matter are not built up? That is why the words of God first, of necessity, do the 'uproot and pull down and destroy,' (Jeremiah 1:10) and after that the 'build and plant.' And we have always watched in Scripture that the things which look grim, if I may call them so, are named first, then the things that seem cheerful are said second. 'I will kill and I will make alive.' (Deuteronomy 32:39) He did not say, 'I will make alive,' and after that, 'I will kill.' For it is impossible that what God has made alive should be taken away by him or by anyone else. But 'I will kill and I will make alive.' (Deuteronomy 32:39) Whom will I kill? Paul the betrayer, Paul the persecutor. 'And I will make alive,' (Deuteronomy 32:39) so that he may become 'Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ.' (1 Corinthians 1:1)

If the wretched people from the heresies had understood these things, they would not keep putting them forward to us, saying, Do you see how fierce and inhuman the God of the Law is, when he says, 'I will kill, and I will make alive'? Do you not see in the Scriptures a promise of the resurrection of the dead? Or do you not see the resurrection of the dead already making its beginning in each person? 'We were buried' with Christ 'through baptism' and we were raised with him.

So he begins from the grimmer voices, which are necessary — as 'I will kill' — then, having killed, 'and I will make alive. I will strike, and I will heal.' (Deuteronomy 32:39) 'For whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives.' (Hebrews 12:6) First he strikes, and after that he heals. 'For he makes one feel pain and again restores.' (Hebrews 12:6) So also here: 'I have set you today over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to pull down and to destroy and to build and to plant.' (Jeremiah 1:10) Only, first those bad things must be taken from us. God cannot build on the place of the bad building. 'For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? What fellowship has light with darkness?' (2 Corinthians 6:14) Vice must be uprooted from the foundations. The building of vice must be consumed from our soul, so that after these things the words of God may build and plant.

I cannot understand what is written in any other way: 'Behold, I have given my words into your mouth.' (Jeremiah 1:9) What do the words do? 'To uproot and to pull down and to destroy.' (Jeremiah 1:10) Words uproot 'nations'; words pull down kingdoms — not these worldly ones. Think, in a way worthy of words that pull down, worthy of words that uproot, the things uprooted by words, the things pulled down by words. Is there not, in what is being said right now, a power — if God gives it (according to 'the Lord will give a word to those who preach good news with great power' (Psalm 68:11)) — a power that uproots, if there is any unbelief, any hypocrisy, any vice, any incontinence? Is there not a power that pulls down, if somewhere an idol-shrine has been built in the heart, so that when that is pulled down a temple of God may be built, and the glory of God may be found in the temple built up, and there may be not a grove but a planting, a garden of God, where the temple of God is, in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power to the ages of the ages. Amen.

God did not make death; how did the true vine turn bitter§2.1

Nitre and soap cannot wash every stain§2.2

2.2After this let us look at: 'If you wash yourself with nitre and multiply soap for yourself, you are stained in your injustices before me, says the Lord.' (Jeremiah 2:22) Did some sinning soul suppose that, taking nitre and washing with ordinary nitre, it ceases from the stain and ceases from the sin? Did someone assume that, taking this herb that springs from the earth and washing and scouring, the soul is cleansed, because the Word says here to the one who has turned into bitterness and become an alien vine, 'If you wash yourself with nitre and multiply soap for yourself, you are stained in your injustices before me, says the Lord' (Jeremiah 2:22)?

But one must know that the Word has all power. And as he has the power of all Scripture, so the Word has the power of every medicine, and is the power of everything that cleanses, and is most scouring. 'For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.' (Hebrews 4:12) And whatever you name, of which there is need, that is in the power of the Word. So there is a word that is nitre, and there is a word that is soap, which, when spoken, cleanses such filth. But since not every sin is healed from such a word as is nitre, and from such a word as is soap — there are sins that do not need nitre or soap — it is said to the one who thinks it has sins of a kind that can be washed off in nitre and soap: 'If you wash yourself with nitre and multiply soap for yourself, you are stained before me in your injustices, says the Lord.' (Isaiah 4:4)

And as of wounds some are healed with a poultice, and others with oil, and others need a bandage and so are made well, and there are other wounds of which it is said, 'There is no poultice to put on, nor oil nor bandages; but your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire' (Isaiah 1:7) — so there are some sins which soil the soul, and for these sins the man needs a word that is nitre, a word that is soap. And there are some sins which are not healed this way, for they are not even compared to soil. That is why the Lord in Isaiah, knowing the differences of sins, see how he says, 'The Lord will wash the soil of the sons and of the daughters of Zion, and he will cleanse the blood from their midst with a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.' Soil and blood: soil with a spirit of judgment, blood with a spirit of burning. If you have sinned, yet not 'unto death,' you have been soiled. So 'the Lord will wash the soil of the sons and of the daughters of Zion, and he will cleanse the blood from their midst.' (Isaiah 4:4) Then the matching: toward 'the soil,' 'with a spirit of judgment'; toward 'the blood,' 'with a spirit of burning.' And most of us, if we have sinned the worse things, do not need nitre, nor the multiplying of soap, but the spirit of burning.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and baptism in fire§2.3

2.3That is why Jesus baptizes (perhaps I find the meaning now) 'in the Holy Spirit and fire.' (Matthew 3:11) Not that he baptizes the same person 'in the Holy Spirit and fire,' (Matthew 3:11) but the holy one 'in the Holy Spirit,' and the one who, after believing, after being counted worthy of the Holy Spirit, has sinned again, he washes in 'fire' — so that it is not the same person being baptized by Jesus 'in the Holy Spirit and fire.' (Matthew 3:11) Blessed, then, is the one baptized in the Holy Spirit and not needing the baptism from fire. Thrice-wretched is that one who has need to be baptized with the fire. Yet Jesus has both. 'For a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will go up from the root.' (Isaiah 11:1) A 'rod' upon those being punished; a 'flower' upon the righteous. So 'God is a consuming fire,' (Deuteronomy 4:24) and 'God is light': a consuming fire to sinners, light to the righteous and holy.

And blessed is the one who has a part in the first resurrection, who has kept the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Who is the one saved in another resurrection? The one who needs the baptism from fire, when he comes to that fire, and the fire tests him, and that fire finds wood, hay, and stubble, so as to burn them. Therefore, these things being said, gathering as far as we can the words of the Scriptures, let us store them in the heart and try to live according to them, if perhaps we may be able to become clean before the departure, and, having prepared our works for the departure, going out may be taken up in those good things and be saved in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power to the ages of the ages. Amen (1 Corinthians 3:12–13) (Luke 3:16) (Deuteronomy 4:24).

Did I become a wilderness to the house of Israel?§3.1

To Israel he was no wilderness; to the nations he was; now it is reversed§3.2

3.2God is a wilderness to no one, making the sun rise on the evil and on the good; he is untilled land to no one, sending rain on the just and on the unjust. How is he a wilderness, who makes day and night for rest? How is he a wilderness, who makes the earth bear fruit? How is he a wilderness, who orders each soul so that it may be rational, take up knowledge, train its understanding, and have its senses sound? So as to the common account, God is a wilderness to no one.

As to the particular, I come to Israel's affairs and I say: he was neither wilderness nor untilled land when he did the signs and wonders for the people in Egypt. If a time came when they were abandoned, he became, as it were, a wilderness to them, though he himself was not a wilderness.

When he was not a wilderness to Israel, nor untilled land, he was, on the particular account, a wilderness and untilled land to the nations. But when he turned away from Israel, and became to that Israel a wilderness and untilled land, then grace was poured out on the nations, and now Christ Jesus has become to us not a wilderness but full, not untilled land but fruit-bearing. For 'the children of the desolate are more than of her who has a husband.' (Isaiah 54:1)

And he threatens those to whom he was not a wilderness nor untilled land, saying: I did not become a wilderness to you, nor untilled land, but you have said, 'We will not be ruled; we will not come to you any more.' (Jeremiah 2:31) Did the sons of Israel say this, out of their senses, according to the letter: 'We will not be ruled' (Jeremiah 2:31)?

Israel sinned first; Judah saw it and sinned more§4.1

4.1The wording of the passage just read has something unclear in it. Let that be understood first; and after that, if God gives, we shall know his hidden intent.

He wants us to know that, as it is written in the Books of Kingdoms, the people was divided in the days of Rehoboam into the kingdom of the ten tribes under Jeroboam and the kingdom of two tribes under Rehoboam. Those under Jeroboam were called Israel, and those under Rehoboam Judah. This division of the people has remained, as far as the history goes, until now. We do not know a history that has gathered Israel and Judah into one.

Israel sinned first, and more — the Israel under Jeroboam and his successors — and sinned so far beyond Judah that they were condemned by providence to become captives to the Assyrians, as the Scripture says, 'until this day.' After that the sons of Judah also sinned, and were condemned as captives to Babylon, not 'until this day' as Israel was, but for seventy years, of which Jeremiah prophesied, and of which Daniel also made mention.

If we take these things of that people then, look at the prophet's words and see whether they do not show something of this kind. He accuses the sins of Israel, and says that when so many sins had come to be for Israel, the congregation of Judah heard their falls, and in what way he had made them captives, and was not trained by it, but added to the sins, so that by the addition, when the sins were compared with the sins of Israel, righteousness was found in Israel rather than in Judah.

Then the prophet is commanded to prophesy, as of Judah being worse than Israel, so that after the sins Judah may turn. After the prophecy toward Israel commanding him to turn, the prophet prophesies that Israel and Judah are going to become together, and that there will sometime be one kingdom of both. Let the one who cares for the readings take the words of the whole reading today, and then he will see the thoughts laid out.

And the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king: 'Have you seen what the dwelling of Israel has done to me' (Jeremiah 3:6) — not Judah, but Israel first? 'She went upon every high mountain and under every leafy tree and played the harlot there. And I said after she had done all these things: Turn back to me. And she did not turn. And faithless Judah saw the faithlessness of the congregation of Israel.' (Jeremiah 3:7) And those from Judah saw that, for all the things in which the dwelling of Israel committed adultery, 'I sent her away and gave her a bill of divorce.' (Jeremiah 3:8) Judah ought to have been trained — for I sent Israel away, I threw them out to the Assyrians, and I gave her a bill of divorce into her hands — 'and faithless Judah was not afraid.' (Jeremiah 3:8)

After so many things that I did to Israel, sending him away, giving a bill of divorce, the congregation of Judah ought to have been trained by what those others suffered. They were not only not trained, but they added to the sins, so that the sins of the congregation of Israel, compared with the sins of the congregation of Judah, seem to be righteousness. 'And I gave her a bill of divorce into her hands, and her sister, faithless Judah, was not afraid, and she went and played the harlot also, and her harlotry came to nothing, and she committed adultery with the wood and the stone. And in all these things faithless Judah did not turn to me with her whole heart, but in a lie.' (Jeremiah 3:6–11)

She was not ashamed before me of what I had done to Israel, that she might turn completely. She ought to have turned in truth, and she turned in a lie. And the Lord said to me: 'Israel has justified her soul from faithless Judah.' The sins of Israel, compared with the falls of Judah, have become a justification of the soul of the congregation of Israel.

The bill of divorce, and the call of the nations§4.2

When we became many, the faithful became few§4.3

4.3That such things will also be ours at the completion of this age is clear from what the Savior said in the Gospel, in which he says: 'Because lawlessness is multiplied, the love of the many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, this one will be saved.' (Matthew 24:12–13) And: 'he will do signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.' (Matthew 24:24)

Our affairs will be such that the Savior says about his own coming, as if a faithful one will not quickly be found from so many churches: 'But when the Son of man comes, will he find the faith on the earth?' (Luke 18:8)

And truly, if we judge things by truth and not by crowds, and judge things by choice and not by seeing many gathered, we shall see now that we are not faithful. But they were faithful then, when the noble martyrdoms were taking place, when, having sent the martyrs on from the burial-places, we came to the gatherings, and the whole church arrived uncrushed, and the catechumens were catechized upon the martyrdoms and upon the deaths of those who confessed the truth unto death, not frightened or shaken from the living God. Then we know that we also saw strange signs and wonders. Then there were faithful — few, but truly faithful — traveling the narrow and crushed way that leads into life.

But now, when we have become many, since it is not possible for many to be elect (for Jesus does not lie, who said, 'Many are called, but few elect' (Matthew 22:14)), from the multitude of those remaining in godliness there are very few who arrive at the election of God and the blessedness (Matthew 22:14) (Philippians 1:28).

If he did not spare the natural branches, how much more not us§4.4

4.4If then he says, as it were: first I sent Israel away because of the sins, and I sent him into a removal, and Judah, hearing what had happened to Israel, did not turn — he is speaking about our sins.

The things that happened to Israel are read, and the falls concerning that people. We ought to fear: 'if he did not spare the natural branches, how much more not you?' (Romans 11:21–22) If, not sparing those who boast to be a cultivated olive, those rooted into the root of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God who is kind and also a lover of man cut them out, how much more will he not spare us?

For he is not kind and not severe, nor severe and not kind. If he were only kind, and not severe, we would have despised his kindness still more. If he were severe, and not kind, perhaps we would even have despaired over our sins. But now, as God — for we who repent need his kindness, and we who remain in sins need his severity — God is both kind and severe.

And he speaks to us through the prophets and says: 'Have you seen what the dwelling of Israel has done to me?' (Jeremiah 3:6) Understand that Israel as that people. 'She went upon every high mountain and under every shady tree.' (Jeremiah 3:6)

If you see the Pharisee going up into the temple boastfully, not striking his own breast, not caring for his own evils, but saying, 'I thank you that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-collector; I fast twice in the sabbath, I tithe what I have,' (Luke 18:11–12) you will see that he has gone up 'upon every high mountain' in a blameworthy way, and having loved high-mindedness, and according to boast and according to pride every high hill, and has come to be 'under every tree' not fruit-bearing, but 'of a grove.' For a grove-tree is one thing, and a tree planted into groves is another: when they plant trees, they do not plant the fruit-bearing ones, not a fig, not a vine, but only, for pleasure, trees without fruit. You will find the words of the heterodox like that, and the beauties of their persuasions, not turning those who hear.

When then someone gives himself to such words, he has gone 'under every grove-tree.' He did not say 'every tree' and stop, nor again add 'every fruit-bearing tree,' but said 'under every grove-tree.' For this reason you will understand why the lawgiver says: 'You shall not plant any tree beside the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall not make a grove.' (Deuteronomy 16:21) For you have the name of the grove itself forbidden.

A new servant should learn from those thrown out§4.5

4.5'And she played the harlot there. And I said after she had played the harlot in all these things: Turn to me. And she did not turn, and faithless Judah saw her faithlessness.' (Jeremiah 3:7–8)

We too have been reproached — I mean we who sin and do not keep the covenants of God, and do not see that those others, well-born, from Abraham, having received a promise, have lost the covenant. We ought then to reckon that they have fallen from the blessings and the promises, and that being from the fathers did them no good — how much more shall we, if we sin, be abandoned. 'If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham,' (John 8:39) the Savior says to them. And again John: 'Do not begin to say in yourselves, We have Abraham as father; for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise children to Abraham' (Matthew 3:9) — hinting at us, who have a heart of stone and are hardened toward the truth. And truly God has raised children to Abraham from the stones, if we remain in the bringing-forth of children and keep the spirit of adoption.

So 'faithless Judah saw the faithlessness' (Jeremiah 3:7) of the dwelling of Israel, she who did not keep the covenants toward God, and she saw concerning all the things for which that one was left (for we, Judah, see all these things, if we read the Scripture) — that concerning the things for which the dwelling of Israel was left, in which she committed adultery, God sent her away and gave her a bill of divorce, that we might be trained by what he did to them, judging them according to the sins, abandoning them and giving them over to captivity and to slaughter and to the enemies.

We ought from these things to turn, and each of us to reckon that if God did not spare the natural branches, how much more will he not spare us. If he thrust out those from the fathers when they became sinners, what shall we who were called from the nations suffer? We have reckoned none of these things, we who were called in order that that people might be made jealous, seeing the slave honored, seeing the low-born come near. And if those suffered so many things, how much more, if we sin, shall we be abandoned?

'In the things in which the dwelling of Israel committed adultery, I sent her away and gave her a bill of divorce into her hands; and faithless Judah was not afraid' (Jeremiah 3:8) of what I had done to the dwelling of Israel, that I sent her away and gave her a bill of divorce. She was not afraid from what had come to be for them.

Someone entered the house of a master of a house. He is newly bought. He asks whom of the former household servants the master honored and why, whom he dishonored and why. Having understood, if he wants to remain in the house of the master, he guards himself from falling into what the former slaves did who sinned and were thrown out and given over to punishment. Then, having learned what the former slaves did who were well-pleasing, and upon what sort of things they obtained freedom, he imitates those. We too were not slaves of God, but of idols and demons, Gentiles; yesterday and the day before we came to God. Let us read the Scripture, see who was justified, who was condemned; let us imitate those justified, and guard ourselves from falling into the things into which those taken captive fell, those thrown out from God.

Turn with the whole heart; one flock, one shepherd§4.6

4.6'And faithless Judah was not afraid, and she went and played the harlot also.' (Jeremiah 3:8–10) Israel having played the harlot first, Judah later played the harlot too. 'And her harlotry came to nothing, and she committed adultery with the wood and the stone.' (Jeremiah 3:9) When we sin, we do nothing else than, becoming stone-hearted, commit adultery with the stone. When we sin and play the harlot 'under every grove-tree,' we too commit adultery with the wood.

'And faithless Judah did not turn to me with her whole heart, but in a lie.' (Jeremiah 3:10) If we have turned to God, but deficiently, we are accused as not having turned 'with the whole heart.' Therefore 'faithless Judah did not turn to me with her whole heart.' He did not say: and faithless Judah turned, and she stood; but: 'and faithless Judah did not turn to me with her whole heart, but in a lie' she turned.

True turning, then, is to read the old things, to know those who were justified, to imitate them; to read those things, to see those who were blamed, to guard ourselves from falling into those blames; to read the books of the new covenant, the words of the apostles; after reading, to write all these things into the heart, to live according to them, so that a bill of divorce may not be given to us also, but that we may be able to come to the holy inheritance, and that, the fullness of the nations having been saved, Israel may then be able to enter. For if the fullness of the nations enters, then all Israel will be saved, 'and they shall become one flock, one shepherd,' teaching to glorify the almighty God in Christ Jesus himself, to whom is the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages. Amen.

First to Israel, then to the nations§5.1

We from the nations answer, “We will be yours”§5.2

False hills and the power of the mountains§5.3

Remnant of Israel after the nations’ fullness§5.4

Shame that consumes the fathers’ toil§5.5

The good shepherd within rules irrational motions§5.6

Shame consumes the fathers’ toil—or good tillage offers firstlings§5.7

5.7'Shame,' then, 'has consumed the labors of our fathers from their youth—their sheep and their oxen.' (Jeremiah 3:24; 8:17) What is there in us that is tilling us—whether tilling badly (so that 'badly' is said of the tiller) or tilling well? If it tills badly, that is labor of the fathers being consumed by their shame. If it tills well, it is not the fathers' labor, but labor from which the firstborn are offered upon God's altar. They say 'their sons and their daughters.' (Wisdom of Solomon 7:27; cf. John 1:12–13; Romans 8:14–16) Whose 'their'? Are the sons of 'them' or of 'the fathers' consumed by their shame? And we have often said that the offspring of the soul are these: thoughts are sons, and the works and bodily practices are daughters.

Since there are wicked thoughts—such as those from the nations thought—and wicked works as well, sons and daughters are consumed by those who made them, if shame arises in them over what was sinned. May it not be that we make sons and daughters for a consumption that comes from shame.

Dishonor as the veil over the heart§5.8

5.8After this, those who confess say, 'We slept in our shame,' and then, 'Our dishonor covered us.' Much has been said to us about the veil that lies on the face of those who do not turn to the Lord. Because of that veil, when Moses is read, the sinner does not understand him; a veil lies on his heart. Because of that veil, when the old covenant is read, the hearer does not understand. Because of that veil the gospel also is veiled to those who are perishing. So we were saying about the veil that shame is the veil.

As long as we have 'the works of shame,' it is clear that we have the veil, according to what is said somewhere in the forty-third Psalm: 'And the shame of my face covered me.' (Psalm 44:15; LXX 43:15) I have set beside this that the one who has no works of shame has no veil—as Paul was, saying, 'We all, with unveiled face, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.' (2 Corinthians 3:18) Paul has an unveiled face; he does not have works of shame. The one who is not like Paul has a veiled face.

As there it is said in the forty-third Psalm, 'The shame of my face covered me,' so here: 'Our dishonor covered us.' As long as we do works of dishonor, we have a veil lying on our heart. If we want to put away the veil that comes from dishonor, let us arrive at works of honor and understand what the Savior said: 'That all may honor the Son as they honor the Father,' (John 5:23) and what the apostle said: 'Through the transgression of the law you dishonor God.' The righteous honors the Son as he honors the Father.

Dishonor—when I dishonor the Son (the same dishonor by which I dishonor the Father or the Son)—becomes a covering over my face, and I say, 'Our dishonor covered us.' So, understanding the veil that lies from works of shame and from such practices, let us take the veil away. It is in our power for the veil to be removed; it belongs to no one else. For when Moses turned to the Lord, the veil was taken away.

Do you see how Moses is sometimes taken also for the people? As long as he did not turn to the Lord, being a symbol of the people that does not turn to the Lord, he had a veil lying on his face. But when he turned to the Lord, becoming a symbol of those who turn to the Lord, then 'the veil was taken away.' It was not as if God commanded him, 'Put on the veil'—for the Lord did not say to Moses, 'Put the veil on'—but Moses, seeing that the people could not look at his glory, then put 'the veil on his face,' and he did not wait for God to say, 'Take away the veil,' whenever he turned to the Lord.

Turn to the Lord and take away the veil§5.9

“We have sinned,” not “we are sinning”§5.10

Complete turning and abominations of the mouth§5.11

5.11Upon these things God says concerning Israel: 'If Israel turns to me, says the Lord, he will also turn'—that is, if he turns completely, he will turn with a turning, not if he merely begins, as it were, to turn. Then he says: 'And if he removes his abominations from his mouth, and stands in awe before my face, and swears, “As the Lord lives,” in truth and in judgment and in righteousness, then nations will bless themselves in him.'

If they do these things, 'nations will bless themselves in him.' (Jeremiah 4:2) What must they do so that nations bless themselves in him? 'If he removes his abominations from his mouth.' (Jeremiah 4:1) What is removing abominations from the mouth? Whatever we speak badly are abominations in our mouth. So let us remove the abominations from our mouth, taking away slanders, empty words, idle words that will make us answerable on the day of judgment—'for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.' (Matthew 12:37)

Next is also, 'You will stand in awe before my face.' Let us do this second thing, not simply so that we may be reverent. For there can be a reverence that does not come from the face of God. Those who fear without knowledge, though they propose to fear, do not stand in awe from the face of God. But as many as stand in awe with knowledge—by always looking and painting for themselves the face of God that comes upon those who do evil, to wipe out their memory from the earth—these are the ones who stand in awe from the face of God.

Swear in truth, judgment, and righteousness§5.12

5.12'If he removes his abominations from his mouth, and stands in awe before my face, and swears: “As the Lord lives,” (Jeremiah 4:1–2) in truth and in judgment and in righteousness.'

Let us look at ourselves who swear—how we do not swear in judgment but without judgment, so that our oaths come by habit rather than by judgment. We are carried away, and the word, exposing this, says: 'And if he swears, “As the Lord lives,” (Jeremiah 4:2) in truth and in judgment and in righteousness.' We know what the Lord said to the disciples in the Gospel: 'But I say to you, do not swear at all.' Let us look at this saying too; and if God grants, both will be examined together. Perhaps one must first swear 'in truth and in judgment and in righteousness.'

In the one who swears I first look for what is not false but true, so that he may swear with truth. Yet we wretched ones even swear falsely. But even if it is 'with truth,' an oath is still not well made unless it is also 'in judgment.' For grant that I swear by habit—I do not swear 'in judgment.' If one must take for such an oath the God of all and his Christ upon this matter, how great must the matter be before I bend the knee and swear? Perhaps I would do it sometime to heal unbelief that has arisen in some about my word.

He has joined both—those from the nations and Israel. He spoke about the nations; he spoke also about Israel (Ephesians 2:14) (John 10:16 or Eph 2:14–16).

Break new ground; do not sow among thorns§5.13

5.13He adds: 'And nations will bless themselves in him, and in him they will praise God in Jerusalem. For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to those who dwell in Jerusalem.' (Jeremiah 4:2; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4) He has spoken to those from the nations, and he has spoken to those from Israel; he speaks to those from Judah. I remember the figurative readings said earlier about Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem. For we dwell—if God grants—in Jerusalem.

Since 'where the treasure is, there the heart is also,' (Matthew 6:21) if we store up treasure in heaven, we also have the heart in the Jerusalem above, about which the apostle says: 'But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother,' as it is written, and what follows. So 'thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to those who dwell in Jerusalem: Break new ground for yourselves, and do not sow among thorns.' (Jeremiah 4:3) This word is spoken especially to those who teach, so that they not entrust what is said to the hearers before they make new ground in their souls. For when, putting hand to the plow, they make new ground in souls—according to the good and fine soil of those who hear—then as they sow they do not sow among thorns.

But if, before the plow and before making new ground in the ruling principle of the hearers, someone takes the holy seeds—the word about the Father, about the Son, about the Holy Spirit, about resurrection, about punishment, about rest, about law, about prophets, and in short about each of the things written—and sows them, he transgresses the command that says first, 'Break new ground for yourselves,' and second, 'Do not sow among thorns.'

But one of the hearers will say: 'I do not teach; I am not under this command.' You too become a farmer of yourself, and do not sow among thorns, but make new ground for me in the plot God of all has entrusted to you. Consider the plot; see where the thorns are—where cares of life and deceit of wealth and love of pleasure are. Having seen the thorns in your soul, seek the rational plow about which Jesus says, 'No one who puts hand to the plow and turns back is fit for the kingdom of God.' Having sought it and found it, gathering from the Scriptures the pure working oxen, plow and renew the land, and so that it may no longer be old, make it new—putting off the old man with his practices and putting on the new man renewed into knowledge. You will make new ground for yourself, and if you make the new ground, take seeds from those who teach, take seeds from the law, from the prophets, from the Gospel writings, from the apostolic words, and having taken these seeds sow the soul through memory and study. They will seem to spring up of themselves; but in truth after the memory of them it is not they that spring up, but God who grows them: 'I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.' (1 Corinthians 3:6) And if anyone has been able to understand the Scriptures, that one has made new ground, and having made it has sown not among thorns. These seeds are managed by God not to become an ear all at once, but as in the Gospel according to Mark: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain.

When it is ready for harvest, those sent out upon the harvest will come. When it is ready for harvest, they will come to whom the word says: 'Lift up your eyes and see the fields, that they are already white for harvest.' So he says to us: 'Break new ground for yourselves, and do not sow among thorns.' But if, before you cleanse your soul, while you still have thorns, you approach one who can teach or is thought to teach, or ask for lessons and spiritual seeds, you transgress the command that says, 'Do not sow among thorns.'

Circumcise to your God the foreskin of the heart§5.14

5.14And next to this it is said: 'Be circumcised to your God; circumcise the foreskin of your heart.' (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jer 4:4) 'Be circumcised to your God'—necessarily is added 'to your God.' You will understand it from the sensible example. According to the sensible I say: not only those of the circumcision according to Moses' law are circumcised, but many others also. The priests of the Egyptians' idols are circumcised, but that circumcision is circumcision to idols and is not circumcision done to God. The Jews' circumcision, perhaps—and certainly then—was done to God.

So when the word says, 'Be circumcised to your God,' understand the saying and move also to the figurative reading, so that you find how, among figurative circumcisions (so that some of them might even say, 'We are the circumcision'), some are circumcised to God, and others are circumcised, yet not to God. There are also other words besides the word of truth, besides the word of the church. Those who philosophize chastise manners and the heart, and those from the heresies chastise, and circumcision happens for them. But it is circumcision, yet not to God; for circumcision happens among them by a false word.

But when according to the church's rule, according to the aim of sound teaching, you are in communion, you are not only circumcised—you are circumcised 'to God.' So 'Be circumcised to your God, and circumcise the foreskin of your heart.' (Jeremiah 4:4) Who does not pass these words by as clear? So there is a foreskin of the heart, and this must be circumcised.

The one who works the word carefully, searching such things in this place, will examine: foreskin is born with us; circumcision is acquired; and what has come from birth, circumcision removes. If then the word commands the foreskin of the heart to be removed, there must be something born with the heart which he calls foreskin, which must be removed so that someone may be circumcised as to the foreskin of the heart. If anyone understands, 'We were by nature children of wrath, like the rest' (Ephesians 2:3; Prov 20:9); if anyone understands 'the body of our humiliation' in which we were born; if anyone understands, 'No one is clean from filth, not even if his life is one day; his months are numbered'—he will see how we were born with uncleanness and with the foreskin of our heart.

False opinions as the foreskin the word cuts away§5.15

5.15So that it may be said according to a simpler example able to lead you to see 'the foreskin of the heart,' I will set beside this that in the first age false opinions certainly arise in the soul. For it is not possible for a human being from the beginning to take true doctrines. The divine word foresaw history and writing according to the letter, so as to nourish the one born according to flesh to Abraham first with words according to flesh, and so that there might first be the one from the slave woman, in order that after this the one from the free woman and through the promise might be born. Why this was taken up can be understood: the foreskin of the heart comes before circumcision. So we need to take the word that cleanses the doctrines and removes everything that has come to be in us according to false opinion. This, then, is putting away the foreskin of our heart. For if the heart is, for us, what has the ruling principle—where the thoughts are, from which the reasonings go out—the one who removes evil reasonings removes 'the foreskin of the heart'; the one who puts away false opinion is circumcised as to the foreskin of his heart and becomes a man of Judah and one dwelling in Jerusalem, being circumcised.

But if someone does not put away the foreskin of his heart, let us see what the word threatens him: 'Lest my wrath go out,' it says, 'like fire and be kindled, and there will be none to quench it.' (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jer 4:4; Rom 2:29) So the wrath of the Lord goes out like fire upon those not circumcised to God, upon those who have not put away the foreskin of their heart, 'and there will be none to quench it from before the wickedness of their practices.' (Jeremiah 4:4) That fire has as its matter the wickedness of our practices. Where there is no wickedness of practices, the fire has nowhere to spread.

That the matter of that fire is the wickedness of practices, hear the prophet saying: 'And there will be none to quench it from before the wickedness of your practices.' (Jeremiah 4:5; 6:1; Isa 58:1) 'Announce in Judah, and let it be heard in Jerusalem; say, announce, signal with a trumpet upon the earth, and cry aloud.' (Jeremiah 4:4; Hebrews 7:14; Rev 5:5) These things announced, he says, say in Judah to those from the tribe of Judah of Christ—'for it is clear that our Savior has risen from Judah.'

Trumpet the word; flee into the walled city§5.16

5.16'Signal with a trumpet upon the earth.' (Jeremiah 4:5) The lofty word—the one that wakes the hearer, that prepares him for the fight against the passions and against the activities of opposing powers, that prepares him for the heavenly festivals (for it is said with a view to both)—is taken as a trumpet.

In Numbers such a word is a trumpet. For example, the word commands me—and anyone else to whom it is given who wills and has sought the mind of the Scriptures—to make 'silver trumpets, hammered work.' So the word says: 'Signal with a trumpet upon the earth, and cry aloud; say: Gather yourselves and let us enter the walled cities.' (Jeremiah 4:5) The word of God does not want us to enter an unwalled city, but into the church of the living God, walled by the strength of the Word—for he is the wall. In the seventeenth Psalm it also lies that God is a wall. 'Taking it up, flee into Zion.' As many of you as are outside Zion, 'taking it up, flee into Zion; hurry, do not stand still.' (Psalm 9:11 (LXX)) You who are in progress, hurry to the Lookout, 'for I am bringing evils from the north and a great crushing' (Psalm 139:12 (LXX))—evils brought 'from the north'—from the opposing one, the north, as has often been said. Whoever is found not hurrying and not entering 'into the walled cities,' not becoming 'in the churches of God,' but standing outside, will himself be caught by the enemies and destroyed. Who is the enemy? Let us see from what follows how it is said: 'A lion has gone up from his den; destroying nations he has carried them off.' This is the enemy we must flee. A lion pursues us. Who is this? Peter teaches, saying: 'Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may swallow (1 Peter 5:8); resist him, firm in the faith.' And according to the ninth Psalm he 'lies in wait in secret; he lies in wait like a lion in his den.' And this lion does not lie in wait by day, but when night has come. For according to the hundred-and-third Psalm: 'You set darkness, and it became night. In it all the beasts of the wood will pass through, young lions roaring to snatch and to seek from God food for themselves.'

The lion from the den; put on sackcloth§5.17

5.17'A lion has gone up from his den.' (Jonah 3:5–8 or Joel 1:13–14 (sackcloth and lament)) Where? When? He is down, having fallen; he has come down into the lowest parts of the earth. 'A lion has gone up from his den.' You are a human being; you are higher than the devil. For you are stronger than he, whatever you may be. He, because of wickedness, is below. So 'a lion has gone up from his den; destroying nations he has carried them off.' (Isaiah 14:15 or Ezek 31:14–16 (descent to the Pit)) Having gone up from his den—the place belonging to his own punishment—'destroying nations he has carried them off; he has gone out from his place to make your land a desolation.' (Jeremiah 4:7 or 50:23 (lion as destroyer of nations)) He wants your land, about which we spoke a little earlier. He wants each of us to be pastured on.

So he comes 'to make your land' desolate, so that the lion may trample the seeds, so that he may make your land empty. 'And your cities will be torn down because they are not inhabited.' (Jeremiah 4:7 or 7:23–25 (trampling of vineyard) Upon these things, gird yourselves with sackcloth.

Since then a lion has gone up and a lion threatens you and wants to wipe out your land, gird sackcloth, weep and mourn, call on God through prayers, that he may destroy this lion from you and you may not fall into his mouth. For 'as when the shepherd snatches from a lion's mouth two legs or a lobe of an ear'—this lion seeks to take you by the ears, so that by your greediness, casting false words beside you, he may drive you from the truth; he wants to snatch your feet from the truth and devour them. But you gird sackcloth and beat your breast and weep and cry out, seeing the enemy who has come, so that 'the wrath of the Lord's anger' may turn away from you, and when the wrath has turned you may be able, in freedom from care—the lion no longer slipping in on you, because you have entered the walled city—to glorify the God who delivers you in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever and ever.

Amen.

Eyes of the Lord and Virtues§6.1

Divine Punishment and Spiritual Numbness§6.2

Spiritual Hardness and the Hardened Heart§6.3

6.3They have hardened their faces above the rock; understand this from the more physical. Those who hear reproving words about sin blush and sink down and fall beneath the word of their reprover. But those are such that they are unblushing, not ashamed of what they are reproved for, what they have sinned. Therefore, if you were to speak about those who do not blush, 'They have hardened their faces above the rock,' (Jeremiah 5:3–5) if you have understood this upon the physical, turn with me in the word to the soul's face, about which it is said, 'Then face to face.' And see a firm soul, such as the heart of Pharaoh, hardened so that it stands as a counterpart to what is spoken and as if rejecting what is said, not shaped according to what is spoken.

For there you will find that 'They have hardened their faces above the rock and did not wish to turn back.' (Jeremiah 5:3) And I said, 'Perhaps they are poor, because they did not wish to know the way of the Lord and the judgment of God.' I will go to the stout and speak to them. Understanding this about those who do not wish to be taught, who do not understand the stripes of God, he says having understood their cause. Their soul is poor. 'And I said, 'Perhaps they are poor, because they could not, because they did not know the way of the Lord and the judgment of God.' 'I will go to the stout and speak to them.' The stout are called in praise of the soul. And among the Hellenes the term 'stout' is constantly used for the greatness of the rational soul.

Divine Judgment and Mercy§7.1

7.1The one judging the condemned grants place and does not immediately bear the end of punishment upon the transgressor. Therefore, 'judging briefly, he punishes.' This is exemplified in Leviticus, where prior punishments are recorded before subsequent penalties. The Lord says, 'If you do not turn back, I will add seven more plagues.' (Leviticus 26:18) Another punishment is again described: 'If you do not turn back, but go astray, I will go with you in a sideways manner.' (Leviticus 26:23-24) You will find God measuring punishments with mercy, as He desires to lead the transgressor to repentance, not wholly destroying them.

Thus, as much as occurred regarding the people through speech, the word threatens them and says they will be convinced after these things. 'In those days, the Lord your God will not strike you to destruction,' (Jeremiah 5:18) if these things especially reach even the future punishments, unless one who has power from things occurring in life regarding the people turns to them. For I would say, as 'they worship heavenly things by example and shadow,' so the people were punished by example and shadow of true punishments for their sins, as all punishment under the law and prophets contains the shadow of true punishments.

Therefore, since their end upon sins did not occur but at a final time, there will never be punishment upon the transgressors after the exodus. The end upon Jerusalem was when the captivity of Nebuchadnezzar occurred. Although someone might say that even then there was no end, nor upon the Maccabees. But the end of the people is upon the presence of my Lord Jesus Christ. For the Savior did not say to them, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' as He did not forgive them. When He wept over Jerusalem, saying, 'Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I desired to gather your children as a bird gathers its brood under its wings, and you would not!' 'Behold, your house is left to you desolate.' The house is left, surrounded by armies of Jerusalem, as the desolation of it has drawn near. Then after their transgression, salvation came to us. They were punished, but the end did not come upon them as the presence of my Lord Jesus.

Divine Punishments and Their Numbers§7.2

7.2I consider that for us also such things may be, and some punishments may occur, so that these may not have a second punishment but be satisfied with the first, others may come even to the second, not indeed to the third, others may come even to the fourth. For the 'I will add seven plagues' (Leviticus 26:21) signifies a mystery of one by one being inflicted, and the second, and the third, up to the seven mentioned for some. Not all are struck with seven plagues; rather, some I suppose will be struck with seven, others with five, others with four, others with three or two, and the most helpless among all in punishments I consider to be struck with one. Therefore, God knows the things regarding the plagues. Hence it is written here at the beginning of the reading: 'And it will be in those days... I will not make an end for you. Not an end in those days; for there are some days when He will make those He wills for an end.' (Jeremiah 5:18)

Idolatry and Divine Judgment§7.3

Strength, wisdom, prudence: earth, world, heaven§8.1

Prudence stretches the heavens; Christ is God’s prudence§8.2

The saints are clouds; God leads them from earth’s end§8.3

Clouds drawn from the last; lightning from clouds’ clash§8.4

Prophets as clouds; spirits from Christ’s treasuries§8.5

Many treasuries; resurrection orders; pearl of pearls§8.6

Every human is made foolish from knowledge§8.7

The emptied sojourn; God’s foolishness wiser than humans§8.8

A little of God’s foolishness overcomes the world’s wisdom§8.9

The Universal Presence of the Word§9.1

Covenant and Spiritual Liberation§9.2

God's People and the Living Covenant§9.3

Curses and Bonds of Sin§9.4

Divine Teaching and the Teacher§10.1

The Wood in the Bread§10.2

The Grain of Wheat and the Fruit of Death§10.3

Judgment on Anathoth and the Loss of Divine Word§10.4

The Prosperity of the Wicked and Divine Justice§10.5

Earth's Grief and Joy§10.6

Abandonment and Passion of Christ§10.7

Inheritance as a Lion in the Forest§10.8

Through Christ the whole land was made desolate§11.1

11.1Who is the one saying, 'Through me the whole land was made desolate with desolation' (Jeremiah 12:11)? Christ says these things. Before his sojourn many sins had indeed come to the people, but not of such a kind that they should be abandoned altogether and handed over to a long captivity. But when they filled up 'the measure of their fathers' (Matthew 23:32 or Jer 5:3 (contextual match to desolation)) and added to killing the prophets and pursuing the righteous the killing of 'the Christ of God,' then what was spoken came to be: 'Your house is left to you.' And because of him they have suffered these things, and 'with desolation the whole land was made desolate.' (Matthew 23:38)

The earth in you made desolate when Jesus comes§11.2

11.2But if you also want to hear something higher than 'Through me the whole land was made desolate with desolation,' (Jeremiah 12:11) look at the earth in you—how it was made desolate when Jesus came. For it was made desolate when 'the members that are upon the earth' (Colossians 3:5) were put to death, and the earth no longer works its own works. No longer do the works of the flesh spring up in the righteous, with which the flesh used to flourish—no longer fornication, no longer uncleanness, no longer sensuality, no idolatry, no sorcery, and the rest. And the Savior also says: 'Do you think that I came to cast peace upon the earth? I did not come to cast peace but a sword.' (Matthew 10:34) Truly, before he came there was no sword upon the earth, nor did 'the flesh desire against the Spirit, nor the Spirit against the flesh.' But when he came and we were taught what belongs to the flesh and what to the Spirit, the teaching, become like a sword on earth, divided the flesh and the earth from the Spirit. And 'the earth was made desolate' when we carry about the putting-to-death of Jesus in the body, and we no longer live according to flesh, but the Spirit lives, and we sow nothing into the flesh but everything into the Spirit, so that we may not reap corruption from the flesh but from the Spirit eternal life.

Sowing wheat and reaping thorns; lots that do not save§11.3

11.3It is said to those who have sinned: 'Sow wheat and reap thorns.' (Jeremiah 12:13 ('Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God')) For even if they deal with the oracles of God, those who do not deal with them well, nor live as they ought, nor believe, sow wheat and reap thorns. Especially this can be understood of the heterodox who meet the Scriptures and reap thorns not from the Scriptures but from their own inventions. 'Their lots will not benefit them.' (Jeremiah 12:13 ('And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward...')) Others have also explained these things. And since we do not reject their explanation, we fairly bring it into the open—not as ourselves discovering it but as having learned a good lesson. This word will benefit both you and us if we pay attention to what is written—we who seem to be of a certain lot, seated in front of you, so that some want to come into this lot.

But know that the lot does not save in every case. For many elders too will perish, and many of the laity will be shown blessed.

Since then there are some in the lot who do not live so as to be benefited and to adorn the lot, therefore, say those who explained it, it is written: 'Their lots will not benefit them.' For what benefits is not the mere sitting in the eldership, but living worthily of the place, as the word requires. The word requires you also to live well, and us. But if one may put it so—'the mighty will be examined mightily' (Jeremiah 4:3 or Hos 10:12 (cf. 'break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns'))—more is required of me than of the deacon, more of the deacon than of the layperson, and the one entrusted with the rule of us all, the church's rule itself, is required still more. Therefore the apostle who was entrusted with great things says—listen—'Let a person regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.' (Jeremiah 5:3 (LXX) or Mic 3:11 ('they lean upon the Lord, saying...') — but closer to Jer 5:3 context of ineffective rites)

Here then seek among the stewards that someone faithful be found. And so rare it is to find a steward faithful and good.

Jesus, 'who knows all things before their coming to be,' says: 'Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his lord will set over his household to give the measure of grain to his servants in season?' Then he blames certain stewards and says: 'But if that wicked servant begins to say, “My lord delays to come,” and begins to beat his fellow servants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the lord of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in two, and assign his portion with the unfaithful.' So much for 'Their lots will not benefit them.'

Be ashamed of empty boasting before the Lord§11.4

11.4Let us also look at the necessary rebuke next, which it is good to take up in the ethical place, saying: 'Be ashamed of your boasting, of reproach before the Lord.' (Jeremiah 12:13) There are things in which we boast through folly, though they are not worthy of boasting. For example, if someone boasts that he is rich and possesses much, one might say to him: 'Be ashamed of your boasting.'

If someone boasts of this outward nobility, it will be said to him: 'Be ashamed of your boasting.' If someone boasts of costly clothing, of a house built richly, that boasting is foreign to the boasting of the saints; therefore it will be said to such a one: 'Be ashamed of your boasting.' Hear the word of the prophet Jeremiah commanding us not to boast even in wisdom: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom,' (Jeremiah 9:23) he says, 'nor the strong in his strength, nor the rich in his wealth, but let the one who boasts boast in this: understanding and knowing that I am the Lord.' Do you want to boast and, boasting, not hear 'Be ashamed of your boasting'? Boast as the apostle and say: 'Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.' (Galatians 6:14) Do you want to boast so that it may not be said, 'Be ashamed of your boasting'? Hear Paul boasting and learn when he says: 'Most gladly then will I boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may tabernacle upon me.' Hear what kinds of boasts he boasts: 'In labors more abundantly'—which of us can say this?—'in prisons beyond measure, in deaths often.'

'Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one (2 Corinthians 11:24); three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked.' So we learn that there are also differences among boastings—some boastings worthy of shame, of which that apostolic word might be said: 'And their glory is in their shame'—things of which they ought to be ashamed, and about these they suppose they are glorified.

The linen belt: Israel cast off, the church girded on§11.5

11.5After these things let us look at what concerns the belt. For 'thus says the Lord: Go and get yourself a linen belt, and put it around your waist, and you shall not pass it through water.' (Jeremiah 13:1) And I got a belt according to the word of the Lord and put it around my waist. And the word of the Lord came to me saying: 'Take the belt that is around your waist, and rise and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in the cleft of the rock.' (Jeremiah 13:4) After days he goes there and finds this belt rotten. And the Lord adds, giving the occasion for interpreting the belt, saying: 'As the belt is glued to a man's waist, so I glued to myself the house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the Lord, to become for me a people named and a boast and a glory—and they did not listen to me.' So the prophet is taken in God's place, girding the linen belt around his waist, as God girded the people: 'For I glued this people to myself,' he says—as if the people becomes God's belt.

But why does it become God's belt around his waist? Let the one able, reading Ezekiel and seeing God as it were embodied by the word—and how what is from the waist downward is fire, and what is from the waist is electrum—search out the word, why what is below God is fire. The matters from the waist and from generation—these are fire. For everything in generation needs the cleansing that comes from fire; everything in generation needs chastisement. But what is above the waist and has gone beyond generation—these are matter as in what is purest and most precious; for electrum is said to be more valuable than gold.

Since then Scripture uses examples in order to teach that God's body above is more honorable and the body below is lesser, for this reason it introduced God composed of fire and electrum. And each of us in generation is fire; we are not the electrum. But if we ascend and make progress—for it is possible to move from being today among the things below, so as to become God's body above—we will be, having crossed the fire, the electrum around God's higher body. So he glues around his waist the linen belt.

To what end? That it may be shown that the people is as it were a covering of God. For against those who want to accuse God the people stands and as it were shields him and does not allow anything out of place to be said about God. But when we sin, just as the prophet puts this belt away and condemns it to the Euphrates river so that it may be destroyed there, so the one who sins is cast away from God's waist, and having been cast out is thrown into the Euphrates river—the river of Mesopotamia, where the Assyrians are enemies to Israel, where the Babylonians are—and there he is destroyed. For though there are so many rivers, the prophet is sent from Judea to the Euphrates river to deal with and lead away a linen belt.

And why also 'linen'? Because it has its origin from earth; for it is a plant rising from earth, then after being cultivated it is carded and washed and scrubbed and made with much working, so that it may become such as to be a belt or whatever else. We too then all have our origin as God's belt, and having our origin from earth we need much preparation, that we may be carded, that we may be washed, that we may put away the color of the earth. For the color of linen's origin is one thing, and that from the working another. The color of linen's origin is rather black, but from the working it becomes most bright. Something of this kind also reaches us who are in generation. We are black according to the beginning in believing; therefore at the beginning of the Song of Songs it is said: 'I am black and beautiful.' And we at the start resemble Ethiopians in the soul. Then we are scrubbed clean, that we may become brighter according to 'Who is this who comes up whitened?' And we become 'bright and clean linen,' then also we are woven onto God's belt when we are worthy to be glued to God. God does not put us away. He put away the first people—'the whole house of Judah' and 'the house of Israel.'

It came to be so as not to be used any longer; for he no longer girds them around himself. In their place God has girded us; for having cast off the belt he did not remain naked, but wove another belt for himself. This belt is the church from the nations—which should know that 'if God did not spare the former, how much more will he not spare her either if she sins,' (Romans 11:21) unless she is worthy of God's waist. 'But the one glued to the Lord is one spirit' in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever. Amen.

Every wineskin will be filled with wine§12.1

12.1What the prophet is commanded by God to say ought to be worthy of God. Yet if we remain on the letter it does not appear worthy of God, so that someone hearing the letter might say: these letters are folly. But a psychic person will say this; for 'the psychic person does not receive the things of the Spirit of God; for they are folly to him.' (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Look then at what the wording says. 'And you shall say to this people: Thus says the Lord the God of Israel'—what 'the Lord the God of Israel' says, let it be worthy of the Lord of Israel—'Every wineskin will be filled with wine. And if they say to you, “Shall we not know, knowing, that every wineskin will be filled with wine?” (Jeremiah 13:12)' And those who answer, if they say these things standing on the bare wording, claim to know that 'every wineskin will be filled with wine,' and they lie. For not every wineskin will be filled with wine. There are wineskins filled with oil or with some other liquid substance. So some lie; for not every wineskin will be filled with wine. And the people answers saying: 'Shall we not know, knowing, that every wineskin will be filled with wine?'—words that will receive an interpretation of this kind, as far as we can.

If we know the differences among wines and what is said about them, and accordingly look at the wineskins, we will see that it is true that every wineskin will be filled with wine. For whether someone is good—let us name him so among wineskins, a wineskin—he will be filled with wine according to his own goodness. Or whether he is, by comparison of wineskins and the judgment about them, wicked, he too according to his wickedness will be filled with wicked wine. How then can we take from Scripture the different wines? About the worse ones it is written like this: 'For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, and their shoot from Gomorrah.

Their grape is a grape of gall; a cluster of bitterness to them; their wine is the rage of dragons, and the incurable rage of asps.' And about the better ones: 'Your cup that makes drunk is as the strongest,' (Psalm 78:47 or Isa 28:2) and Wisdom calls to her own mixing-bowl saying: 'Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine I have mixed for you.' (Psalm 23:5 (LXX)) So there is wine from Sodom, and there is wine that Wisdom mixes. And again: 'A vineyard came to be for the beloved on a horn in a rich place,' planted by God, the vine called Sorek—choice and marvelous. And there is also a vine of the Egyptians, which God strikes according to what is written: that 'God struck their vine with hail, and their mulberry trees with frost.'

Wineskins of virtue and of punishment§12.2

God fills sinners’ wineskins; scattering as discipline§12.3

12.3Then he teaches, for those who sinned—as far as the wording goes—then in Jerusalem and in Judea, with what sort of wine God fills these wineskins, the sinners. For it is written: 'If they say to you, “Not knowing, we will not know that every wineskin will be filled with wine,” (Jeremiah 13:12) you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Look, I fill all who inhabit this land and the kings sitting as sons of David on his throne and the priests.' The one about to punish spares no one. Not because someone was named a prophet, yet has sins, will he not be filled with the threats spoken. Not because someone was named a priest and seemed to have the superiority of a more honored name than the people does God spare him so that he is not punished when he has sinned. And the things written about those people, the apostle says, were written for us, 'upon whom the ends of the ages have come.' If then anyone among these priests also (I mean us elders) or among these Levites standing around the people (I mean the deacons) sins, he will have this punishment—as again there are certain priestly blessings, about which, God granting, not far off but after the examination of the prophetic word we will know when Numbers is read; for something about priests is about to be said there. So 'the priests' and 'the prophets and Judah and all who inhabit Jerusalem,' God says he will fill 'with drunkenness' and scatter 'them, a man and his brother, and their fathers and their sons.' And let us understand these things thus: God gathers the righteous, but scatters the sinners. Therefore also when human beings had not moved from the east, God did not scatter them; but when they moved 'from the east' and 'a man said to his neighbor: Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose head will be to heaven,' God says about them: 'Come, let us go down and confuse their tongue there,' and each is confused and scattered to some place of the earth. And the people of Israel, when not sinning, was in Judea; but having sinned is scattered afterward throughout the inhabited world and sown everywhere.

Think something of this kind with me also about all of us.

There is a 'church of firstborn enrolled in heaven,' (Hebrews 12:23) where is Mount Zion and city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem. The blessed will be gathered there, that they may be together. But sinners are also punished in this: in not being with one another. I know some in this life who, for punishment, want to hand over to some island and, for torment, the household of someone who grieved the kingdom, scattering—here the wife, here the one son, then elsewhere the other—so that not even in the disaster the mother may enjoy the son, or the brother the brother. Think something of this kind also upon the unjust. You who are a sinner managed by God must taste something more bitter, that being disciplined you may be saved.

And just as you do not punish a household slave or son under your punishment simply wanting to torment him, but that by the pains you may turn him, so also God will discipline those not turned by the word, those not healed, with the pains from sufferings. For discipline he puts around what he puts around according to what is said: 'With toil and scourge you will always be disciplined, Jerusalem.' (Jeremiah 6:8) So that the disciplining pain may grow, those in pain are scattered from one another so that this one and that one may not be together. For the intensity of the pain would be loosened through the comfort of each toward what comes from the other (Ezekiel 20:23).

Why the wicked are scattered from one another§12.4

12.4But if another cause of being scattered must also be added to the account, I will set this beside it. Bad people being with one another look to the bad things and increase them, just as good people being with good ones consider good things. So the evil counsel is dissolved and divided—having been able to hold with the like—when the wicked are scattered from one another. For this reason God arranges that the worthless not be with one another, perhaps also providing for them, that their wickedness may not grow together but may shrink as it is dissolved. These things because of 'I will scatter them, a man and his brother, and their fathers and their sons together. Says the Lord. I will not long for them and I will not spare and I will not pity from their destruction.' (Jeremiah 13:14)

God’s refusal to spare serves the common good§12.5

The scourging of some trains others§12.6

12.6But if you want to take Scripture as witness that sinners are punished also for the training of others, even if these at some time are given up as beyond healing, hear Solomon in the Proverbs saying: 'When a pestilent one is scourged, the foolish becomes more shrewd.' (Proverbs 19:25) He did not say that the one scourged himself will be more shrewd and more prudent through the scourgings, but that the foolish changes from folly to prudence through the scourgings applied to the pestilent one; for this is what the name of shrewdness signifies here. And the foolish changes by seeing others scourged. So it benefits us—if at least we become worthy of salvation through others being punished—the punishment of others. And as Israel's trespass benefited the salvation of the nations, so the punishment of some will benefit the salvation of others. For this reason God, being good, says: 'I will not spare and I will not pity from their destruction.' (Jeremiah 13:14)

Hear and give ear; do not exalt yourselves§12.7

12.7One chapter having been marked off, let us also see what the other teaches us: 'Hear and give ear, and do not exalt yourselves, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, and before your feet stumble on dark mountains; and you will wait for light, and there is a shadow of death, and they will be placed into darkness.' (Jeremiah 13:16)

'But if you do not hear in a hidden way, your soul will weep from before insult, and your eyes will bring down tears, because the Lord's flock was crushed.' He wants the same people both to hear and to give ear, not content either with their hearing alone or with their giving ear. Therefore he says: 'Hear and give ear.' Then after this he commands them not to exalt themselves, and teaches what must be done. What then is hearing and what is giving ear? Let us understand from the wording itself. 'Give ear'—receive into the ears; and 'hear'—if it is said in distinction from 'give ear'—perhaps is: receive into the mind. And among the things said in the Scriptures some are more ineffable and more mystical, and some are useful at once to those who understand. About the more ineffable I think 'hear' is said; about those useful at once and able without interpretation to benefit the hearer, 'give ear.' So if we examine the whole Scripture we will say, becoming 'approved bankers': hear this, but give ear to that.

Then when we have heard and given ear, he commands us: 'And do not exalt yourselves.' (Jeremiah 13:15) For 'everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.' (Luke 14:11) And the Savior too, in saying, 'Learn from me that I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,' (Matthew 11:29) teaches us not to exalt ourselves. For among the other human evils this sin also is much in us—sometimes exalting ourselves quite irrationally and over what one ought not exalt oneself even in the least, and sometimes with a semblance of reason, that what we exalt ourselves over is reasonable, yet even over that exaltation is not sound.

No ground for pride—not even spiritual grounds§12.8

12.8What I mean will be clear like this: there are some who exalt themselves because they are sons of governors and because they are of a family from great worldly ranks. Such people, exalting themselves over an involuntary and indifferent matter, do not even have a plausible likelihood that what is set beside them for exaltation is reasonable. There are those who exalt themselves because they have authority to kill human beings, and who exalt themselves because they have received what among them is called such a promotion that they cut off human heads. 'The glory' of such people 'is in their shame.' Others exalt themselves over wealth—not the true wealth but the one below; and others exalt themselves, say, over having a fine house or many fields. None of these is worthy of account; one must not exalt oneself over any of these.

But the plausible case about exaltation is when someone exalts himself because he is wise, and exalts himself knowing in himself that already for ten years he has not touched sexual things, or even from childhood has not touched them; and again another exalts himself because he wore bonds concerning Christ. There is a semblance here that suggests that someone reasonably exalts himself—yet even over these, as toward the true account, no one reasonably exalts himself. So there is no reasonable exaltation even over these.

Paul had the material for exaltation through visions, through sights, through wonders and signs, through the toils he toiled for Christ, through the churches he planted, ambitious where Christ was not named to found a church. All these were material for him, if one must speak with the semblance about exaltation, that to some it would have seemed fine for him to exalt himself. But still, since even exaltation over such things is not without danger, the kind Father, as he granted him visions and sights, so also gave him in the portion of a gift 'an angel of Satan to buffet him, that he may not be exalted beyond measure.' (2 Corinthians 12:7) And about this he begged the Lord three times that the angel of Satan depart from him—the one given him that he may not exalt himself. And the Lord answered him (for Paul was worthy of the Lord's answer) and said to him: 'My grace is enough for you; for my power is perfected in weakness.' (2 Corinthians 12:9 (continued))

So one must exalt oneself over nothing; for falling follows exaltation according to 'Before crushing a man's heart is exalted, and before glory it is humbled.' So much for 'Hear and give ear, and do not exalt yourselves, for the Lord has spoken.' (Jeremiah 13:15)

Give God glory before the darkening§12.9

12.9Let us also see what he commands us to do after these things: 'Give,' he says, 'glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before your feet stumble on dark mountains; and you will wait for light.' (Jeremiah 13:16) He wants the one giving 'glory to God' to give 'glory to God' while there is light, as if God's glory cannot be announced when it has grown dark and darkness has come. When then does it grow dark, and when does the darkening not come? 'Work while the light is in you.' (John 12:35) 'The light is in' you if you have in you the one who said: 'I am the light of the world.' As long as this rises for you, glorify God; but know that some darkening can come, and one must not remain in this darkening, but before the darkening give glory to God.

Day for work; night when no one can work§12.10

Glory to God by deeds, not by little words§12.11

Bright mountains and dark; hear the law in a hidden way§12.12

12.12'Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before your feet stumble on dark mountains.' (Jeremiah 13:16) There are dark mountains; there are bright mountains. Bright mountains are the holy angels of God, the prophets, Moses the servant, the apostles of Jesus Christ. All these are bright mountains, and about these I think it has been said in the Psalms: 'His foundations are in the holy mountains.' (Psalm 87:1) And what are dark mountains? Those who lift up heights against the knowledge of God.

The devil is a dark mountain; the rulers of this age who are being abolished are dark mountains; and the demon of epilepsy was a mountain, and it was a dark mountain, about which the Savior said: 'You will say to this mountain.' For when the account of epilepsy was being sought and the disciples said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' the Savior answers that 'If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain' (Matthew 17:20)—about which you put forward the question, about which you sought—'You will say to this: Move from here to there, and it will move.' (Matthew 17:20) 'From here' from the human being, 'there' to its own place. So those who stumble do not stumble on bright mountains but on dark mountains, when they come to be with the devil and his angels, the dark mountains. 'And you will wait for light.' Yet it can also be joined to 'Give glory to the Lord our God'—the 'and you will wait for light.'

If you give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before your feet stumble on dark mountains, clearly even if it grows dark you will wait for the light and the light will succeed you. But another might say (I do not know whether understanding soundly or not) that even those who stumble 'on dark mountains' will wait among the dark mountains waiting for the light of mercy; for this will seem to be the 'and you will wait for light.' And when someone comes upon the dark mountains, let us see what is there: 'shadow of death.'

Where the dark mountains are, there is a shadow of death generated from the dark mountains themselves. 'And they will be placed into darkness.' 'But if you do not hear in a hidden way, your soul will weep from before insult.' Of those who hear, some hear in a hidden way, and some, even if they hear, do not hear in a hidden way. What then is hearing in a hidden way but 'But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predetermined before the ages for our glory' (1 Corinthians 2:7)? And again elsewhere it is said that 'most of God's works are in hidden things.' If I hear the law, I either hear in a hidden way or I do not hear in a hidden way.

The Jew does not hear the law in a hidden way; therefore he is circumcised openly, not knowing that it is not 'the one who is a Jew openly, nor the circumcision openly in flesh.' But the one who hears circumcision in a hidden way will be circumcised in secret; the one who hears the things legislated about the Passover in a hidden way eats from the sheep of Christ—for 'our Passover was sacrificed, Christ'—and knowing what the flesh of the Word is like, and knowing that 'it is true food,' he partakes of it; for he heard the Passover in a hidden way. But this common Jew for this reason killed the Lord Jesus and is still today liable for Jesus' murder, since he heard neither the law nor the prophets in a hidden way.

If you read about the unleavened breads, one can hear the command in a hidden way, and one can hear it openly. As many of you as (for the Passover is near) keep unleavened breads, the bodily unleavened breads, you do not hear the command that says: 'If you do not hear in a hidden way, your soul will weep.' And about the Sabbath women who have not heard the prophet do not hear in a hidden way but hear openly. They do not bathe on the Sabbath day; they return 'to the poor and weak elements,' as if Christ had not sojourned—the one who perfects us and carries us across from the legal elements to the Gospel perfection.

For this reason let us attend, reading the law and the prophets, lest we fall under the prophecy that says: 'But if you do not hear in a hidden way, your soul will weep from before insult.' As many as keep the Jewish fast as not understanding the day of atonement after Jesus Christ's sojourn—you did not hear the atonement in a hidden way, but only openly; for to hear the atonement in a hidden way is to hear how God set Jesus as atonement for our sins, and that 'he is atonement for our sins, not for ours only but also for the whole world.' And even if Gospel parables are read and the hearer is one of those outside, he will not hear them in a hidden way.

But if the hearer is an apostle or one of those entering 'into Jesus' house,' he comes to Jesus, inquires also about the unclearness of the parable, and Jesus interprets it, and that hearer of the Gospel becomes one hearing it in a hidden way, so that his soul may not weep; for the soul of those not hearing in a hidden way weeps.

How marvelously he did not say: you will weep, if you do not hear in a hidden way, but: 'your soul will weep.' There is a weeping of the soul alone weeping, and perhaps the Savior teaches us that weeping when he says: 'There will be the weeping.' And even if he says: 'Woe to those who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep,' he speaks about that weeping which the prophet also threatens here saying: 'But if you do not hear in a hidden way, your soul will weep from before insult.' For when you are insulted, then you will weep and your eyes will bring down tears, because the Lord's flock was crushed. If someone now sees the Jewish things and compares them with the ancient, he will see in what way the Lord's flock was crushed.

For this was once the Lord's flock, and since they judged themselves unworthy, the word turned to the nations. If then that flock of the Lord was crushed, we the wild olive, grafted contrary to its nature into the cultivated olive of the fathers—ought we not fear more, lest this 'flock of the Lord' also be crushed? For it is going to be crushed sometime according to what was said by the Savior, when 'because lawlessness is multiplied the love of many will grow cold.' About whom is the word? Is 'the love of many will grow cold' not said about those called Christians? About whom is the word, that 'When the Son of Man comes, will he find the faith on the earth?' (Luke 18:8) Is it not about us? For this reason let us attend to ourselves, doing everything, that day by day this flock of God may be improved, healed, cured, and every crushing depart from our souls, that we may be perfected in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever.

Amen.

Who will spare Jerusalem after she killed Jesus?§13.1

13.1We want to understand the words spoken to Jerusalem with much threat, which run like this: 'Who will spare you, Jerusalem? Or who will look gloomy over you? Or who will turn back to ask after your peace? You have turned away from me, says the Lord.' (Jeremiah 15:5)

'You will go backward, and I will stretch out my hand against you and destroy you, and I will no longer spare you. And I will scatter them in dispersion.' (Jeremiah 15:6-7) Then: 'I have been made childless. Helplessness has seized me.' (Jeremiah 15:7) I take as an example a certain enemy proved against the one who reigns on earth: that it is not permitted even to give him a share of mercy, lest someone seem to strike against the king who condemned him. And it is not permitted even to pity such a one. Some go further and do not even look gloomy over him, lest by looking gloomy they seem displeased at what the king judged. If you have understood this, look with me at the one condemned by God through his many sins, and see such a person—while there are legions of angels appointed to help human nature—pitied by no one.

For each of the angels, seeing that the one who condemned is God, that the one turned away from is the Creator, and that the nature of the sins is such that the good God was compelled—so to speak—to bring the vote against the sinner, each of those who see does not spare, does not look gloomy, does not pity, does not come back so as to plead concerning peace toward such a one.

So let this Jerusalem (for so it will be said according to the letter) have sinned against my Jesus and done such things that Jesus says about her: 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I wanted to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.' (Matthew 23:37 (watchtower in a cucumber field))

'Look—your house is left to you.' Let this Jerusalem be left as she has been left. Let the angels who always help Jerusalem—through whom Moses' law also was arranged, 'arranged through angels by the hand of a mediator'—leave Jerusalem and say: her sins have become great; they killed Jesus; they laid hands on the Christ.

As long as the sins were still smaller, we could still plead and intercede about them; we could spare Jerusalem. Who will spare for this? 'If a man sinning sins against a man, they will pray for him; but if he sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?' 'Jerusalem has sinned a sin; therefore she has become a shaking.' And it is said to this one first: 'Who will spare you, Jerusalem? And who will look gloomy over you?' We do not look gloomy over Jerusalem and her disasters and what has happened to that whole people—for by their trespass our salvation has come, to provoke them to jealousy.

Since their trespass has become so great a sin that the Lord's voice is spoken—'Who then will spare you'—I too say to the one who killed my Jesus: 'Who will spare you, Jerusalem? And who will look gloomy over you?'

From Jebus to Jerusalem: the soul that sees peace§13.2

13.2I move from the letter—though I have already taken the road the word gave—onto each soul already counted worthy to see peace. For after the divine lessons you have become Jerusalem, having formerly been Jebus. History says that one's name was Jebus; then second it changed the name and it became Jerusalem. Children of the Hebrews say Jebus is interpreted 'Trodden.'

So Jebus—the soul trodden by opposing powers—has been changed and has become Jerusalem, Vision of peace. If then, when you changed from Jebus so as to become Jerusalem, you sinned and trampled the Son of God and counted the blood of the new covenant common (as that Jerusalem did, and you too) and are in hard sins, it will be said also about you: 'Who will spare you, Jerusalem? And who will look gloomy over you?' (Jeremiah 15:5)—if you become such as to betray Jesus. Each of us, when we sin—and especially if the sins are greater—sins against Jesus.

And if one is also an apostate, still more does he do to Jesus spiritually what Jerusalem did to him bodily. Therefore: 'How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the one who has trampled the Son of God and counted common the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace?' (Hebrews 10:29) If you have trampled the Son of God and insulted the Spirit of grace, who 'will spare you? Who will look gloomy over you? Who will turn back to ask after the things that make for your peace?' (Jeremiah 15:5) The sinner's soul has betrayed the very Son of God who asked after the things that make for your peace. Who can turn back again and plead concerning peace? Knowing then that 'it is impossible to renew again to repentance those who were once enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and became partakers of the Holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God and powers of the age to come, and fell away, crucifying again in themselves the Son of God and making a spectacle of him,' let us do everything so that it may not also be said about us: 'Who will spare you, Jerusalem? And who will look gloomy over you? Or who will turn back to ask after your peace?'

Do not turn back; flee to the mountain§13.3

13.3And to either interpretation of Jerusalem the next words also fit: 'You have turned away from me, says the Lord. You will go backward.' (Jeremiah 15:6) That you have turned away from the Son of God, and through turning away from the Son of God have turned away from God—what need is there even to say it? And since the Jerusalem in Judea turned away from the Christ—from which all the Jews are to be understood—therefore 'You will go backward.' For there was a time when she did not go backward but forward; but now she goes backward, 'and they turned in their hearts toward Egypt' (Acts 7:39)—clearly so that they might go backward. Concerning what 'You will go backward' is, or what it is to stretch forward to the things ahead, we will set it out like this.

The righteous stretches forward to the things ahead, forgetting the things behind. Clearly the one disposed contrary to the righteous remembers the things behind and does not stretch forward to the things ahead. Remembering the things behind, he disobeys Jesus teaching and saying, 'Let him not turn back to take his cloak' (Matthew 24:18); he disobeys Jesus saying, 'Remember Lot's wife'; he disobeys Jesus saying, 'No one who puts hand to the plow and turns back is fit for the kingdom of God.' (Luke 9:62) And in the law it is written that the angels said to Lot who had gone out from Sodom: 'Do not look back, and do not stand in all the surrounding country; escape to the mountain, lest you be taken along.' And this also has a sense worthy of an angelic spirit: 'Do not look back'—always stretch forward to the things ahead. You have left Sodom; do not turn toward Sodom. You have left wickedness and sin; do not turn back to it, 'and do not stand in all the surrounding country.' Even if you keep the former command that says, 'Do not look back,' it is not enough for you to be saved unless you also hear the second command that says, 'And do not stand in all the surrounding country.' For one who has begun to progress must not stand in the country around Sodom, even if he has crossed Sodom, but having crossed from standing in the surrounding country he must be saved onto the mountain, according to 'Do not look back and do not stand in all the surrounding country; escape to the mountain, lest you be taken along.' If you want not to be taken along with the people of Sodom, never turn back, and do not stand in the country around Sodom, and be nowhere else than on the mountain—for only there is it possible to be saved.

And the mountain is the Lord Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever. Amen.

Prophets as physicians of souls§14.1

Jeremiah the physician sued by the sick§14.2

14.2That people then was sick; there were various diseases in the people who had called upon God. God sent them physicians, the prophets. One of the physicians was also Jeremiah; he convicted those who were sinning, wanting to turn those doing evil. But those who ought to have listened to what was said accused the prophet and accused him before judges like themselves. And the prophet was always in lawsuits under those who, as far as his prophecy went, were healed, yet through their own disobedience were not being healed. Upon these things he sometimes says: 'And I said: I will not speak nor name the Lord's name. And it became like a burning fire blazing in my bones, and I am undone on every side and cannot bear it.'

And sometimes he says, seeing himself always sued, abused, charged, falsely witnessed against: 'Woe is me, mother, as whom did you bear me?' (Jeremiah 15:10)—he said 'a man' not judging but 'being judged,' and not distinguishing but 'being distinguished throughout all the earth.' (Jeremiah 15:10) And since the sick did not listen to him counseling well and medically, he says: 'I did not benefit.' And since, when he was lending the spiritual silver, those to whom he spoke did not want to listen so as to be benefited from what they heard, he says: 'Nor did anyone owe me, nor did I owe.' (Jeremiah 15:10)

Two readings: “I did not benefit” and “I did not owe”§14.3

14.3But I said these things beforehand, before I interpret 'I did not owe, nor did anyone owe me.' (Jeremiah 15:10 or similar lament) For the writing is double: in most copies 'I did not benefit, nor did anyone benefit me,' (Job 22:3 or Jeremiah 2:36 (LXX)) but in the most accurate and those agreeing with the Hebrew 'I did not owe, nor did anyone owe me.' So one must both interpret what is commonly current and carried in the churches and not leave unexplained what is from the Hebrew writings. He then proclaimed the word; no one received what was said. As a physician also used up the medicines, the sick being undisciplined and filling their own desires.

Perhaps there is a reciprocal affection through the love of humanity of the one benefited toward the one who benefited, so that the speaker also comes to be benefited, since blessed is the one who speaks into ears that hear.

so that the speaker also comes to be benefited, since blessed is the one who speaks into ears that hear. This benefit then a teacher would be benefited from hearers progressing and improving; he would be benefited by having fruit in them. 'No one benefited me.' For if the speaker must have fruit in them, but the hearer receives wrongly and becomes outside what is said, 'No one at all benefited me' is said—since he did not have this benefit which he would have been benefited from the benefited hearer becoming a cause of progress and blessedness for the one who benefited. And otherwise every one who teaches, in the very teaching, as far as the learner is more intelligent, is benefited into what he teaches, into what he learns. For those who speak become better about the lessons they hand over when the hearers, being intelligent and not simply receiving, but cross-examining and asking and testing the will of what is said. So I did not benefit, nor did anyone at all benefit me.

Owing no duty; hearers who refuse the loan§14.4

14.4And since another interpretation is also necessary because of the more accurate copies having it thus: 'I did not owe, nor did anyone owe me,' (Jeremiah 15:10) we will interpret the saying having it this way too.

The one who indeed gives back to all their dues—fear to the one due fear, tax to the one due tax, tribute to the one due tribute, honor to the one due honor—and giving back to all what is fitting, so as not to owe what is fitting toward some, having honored parents as parents, so to speak, brothers as brothers, sons as sons, bishops as bishops, elders as elders, deacons as deacons, faithful as faithful, catechumens as catechumens—if he gives back all that is fitting, he did not owe. But if he owes doing what is fitting and has not done it, he cannot say: 'I did not owe'; for owing he did not give back. How then will I also interpret 'nor did anyone owe me'? I was lending and wanted to give the spiritual money, but they turned away from what was said and did not present themselves as receptive so as to owe; therefore no one at all owed me. For who received what was said, so that from receiving he might become a debtor of what he heard and be demanded, as a debtor of what was said, for the interest? Better then according to this for the hearer to take logical silver from the speaker and owe than, neither receiving nor taking, not even to owe.

For 'nor did anyone at all owe me' also lies among charges.

Jeremiah from childhood; Christ the true prophet to the nations§14.5

The Savior’s “woe” in his humanity§14.6

14.6First one must speak about the 'woe'—whether because of its ill-sounding character the Savior can say 'woe,' he who also pronounces woes on others. We will set out from agreed sayings, which fit no one but the Savior, how he also wept over Jerusalem; and the voice of one weeping is 'woe.' And it lies in the Gospel that seeing Jerusalem he wept over it and said: 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I wanted to gather your children,' (Luke 19:41) and what follows. And clearly these too were spoken by the Savior in the 'Woe that I became as one gathering stubble in harvest and as gleaning in vintage, there being no ear to eat the firstfruits. Woe, soul, that the devout has perished from the earth, and the one who walks upright among humans does not exist. All are judged for bloodshed.' (Micah 7:1-2)

For he came as one gathering stubble into a harvest in order to reap, and finds many sinners and says: 'Woe that I became as one gathering stubble in harvest.' (Micah 7:1 or similar lament)

He came to vintage fruit of life among humans; he finds many sins in us and for this reason says: 'And as gleaning in vintage, there being no ear to eat the firstfruits.' And elsewhere he says something near these things to the Father: 'What benefit is there in my blood, in my going down into corruption?' What great benefit have I given humans? What worthy of the blood which I poured out for them have they done? 'What benefit is there in my blood, in my going down' from heavens? I have gone down; I came upon the earth; I gave myself over to corruption; I wore a human body; what worthy of them has been set right for humans? 'What benefit is there in my blood, in my going down into corruption? Will dust confess you, or announce your truth?' Such then is also what is said here first by the Savior: 'Woe is me, mother, as whom did you bear me, a man?' Not as God does the Savior say 'Woe is me, mother,' but as human, as in the prophet: 'Woe, soul, that the devout has perished from the earth.'

And the soul was human; for this reason it was also troubled, for this reason it was also deeply grieved. But the Word who was in the beginning with God is not troubled; that one would not say 'woe.' For the Word does not admit death, but it is the human that admitted this, as we have often set out.

Christ judged in every martyr§14.7

14.7'As whom did you bear me, a man judged and examined in all the earth?' (Jeremiah 15:10) If you see the martyrs everywhere being judged and in each church standing before the judges, you will see how Jesus Christ is judged in each of the martyrs; for he himself is the one judged in those who bear witness to the truth. And you will be persuaded to accept this when you see that he does not say you are in prison when you are in prison, but himself; not you hungry when you are hungry, but himself; not you thirsty, but himself. 'I was in prison and you came to me.

I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me drink.' So even if a Christian is judged not for something else, not for his own sins, but because he is a Christian, it is Christ who is judged. In all the earth then Christ Jesus is judged; and as often as a Christian is judged, it is Christ who is judged—not only in these lawcourts, but take a Christian to be falsely accused and charged about something: then too Christ is judged unjustly. 'As whom did you bear me, a man judged and examined in all the earth?' (Jeremiah 15:10)

Every nation puts the Christian word on trial§14.8

Strength failed among those who curse me§14.9

14.9'My strength failed among those who curse me.' (Jeremiah 15:10)

The apostle says about the Savior that 'he was crucified from weakness.' (2 Corinthians 13:4) And the prophet says things near these in 'Lord, who believed our report? And to whom was the Lord's arm revealed? We announced before him as a child, as a root in thirsty ground; we saw him, and he had no form or beauty, but his form was without honor, failing beside the sons of humans. A man being in blow and in toil and knowing how to bear weakness, because his face was turned away from dishonor, he was dishonored and not reckoned. This one bears our lawless deeds and is in pain about us, and we reckoned him to be in toil and in blow and in mistreatment. But he was wounded through our lawless deeds, and has been softened through our sins; the discipline of our peace was upon him; by his bruise we were healed.' So he took up the weakness of our sins and wore us and came to those who curse him, and his strength failed from those who curse him as he came down from heavens. For at once he took up the form of the slave and emptied himself, as the apostle said that 'he emptied himself, taking a slave's form.' So he says: 'My strength failed among those who curse me.' (Jeremiah 15:10)

The Word’s strength grows or fails in each soul§14.10

14.10Let us see whether, the Word himself giving, we can also say something clearer than what has been said toward 'My strength failed among those who curse me.' (Jeremiah 15:10) 'There was the true light, which enlightens every human coming into the world.' (Mark 1:1 or John 1:34) 'The true light' is the Son of God, 'which enlightens every human coming into the world.' ( (LXX) — but phrasing is non–standard; likely citation from a lost or paraphrased source) And whoever is rational shares in the true light, and every human is rational. So of all humans who share in the Word, in some the strength of the Word has grown, and in some it fails.

If you see a passionate and sinful soul, you will see there the strength of the Word failing; but if you see a holy and righteous soul, you will see the strength of the Word bearing fruit day by day, and you will fit what is said about Jesus to the righteous. For not by himself alone 'did Jesus advance in wisdom and stature and grace with God and humans,' but also in each of those who receive the advance in wisdom, stature, and grace, Jesus advances 'in wisdom, stature, and grace with God and humans.' So the Word, the Son of God, who is in the one saying 'Woe is me, mother' and what follows, says that 'My strength failed among those who curse me.'

Whoever curses the Word at once receives the punishment for cursing the Word, for blaming Jesus' teaching; for Jesus' strength fails in such a one, and there is no strength of Word in him. And again from the contrary: if you bless Jesus and accept him, his strength suffers the opposite of what it suffered among those who curse. For as there it failed among those who curse, so here it grows among those who bless.

May they be guided; I stood before you in their evils§14.11

14.11'May it be, Lord, when they are guided; if I did not stand before you in the time of their evils.' (Jeremiah 15:11) What is 'May it be, Lord'? Let the one able gather such a thing from himself. 'Master Lord, when they are guided'—may the strength that fails among those who curse come to be, when, having repented after speaking ill of me, they turn to the straight way and travel it. 'May it be, Master, when they are guided; if I did not stand before you.' (1 John 2:2) Then he justifies himself about those who speak ill of him saying: 'If I did not stand before you in the time of their evils.' He stood before the Father as 'atonement for our sins' and pleaded about them in that very time of our evils. For he did not stand after the time of our evils, but 'while we were still sinners Christ died for us'—'if I did not stand before you in the time of their evils, in the time of their afflictions, for good against the enemy.' And in the time of their affliction, he says, the one toward the enemy, I stood before you for them. And who is the enemy but 'our adversary the devil,' who afflicted us? And clearly in the time of that enmity against humans our Savior stood before the Father and begged about our captivity, that we might be redeemed and delivered from the enemy. Let the Savior or the prophet have said these things; for the prophet too can have said such things and prayed about the people in 'the time of their evils.'

Iron strength; treasures given as plunder to the nations§14.12

Enslaved among enemies; do not be long-suffering toward them§14.13

14.13'And I will enslave you among all your enemies in the land which you did not know.' (Jeremiah 15:14) That people has been enslaved among the enemies, and has come to be in the land which they did not know. 'For a fire has been kindled from my wrath; it will burn upon you.' (Jeremiah 15:14)

After these things and the words of the threats spoken toward the people, the one who prayed above completes the prayer and joins to what was said beforehand these things: 'You know, Lord; remember me and visit me, and acquit me from those who pursue me—not unto long-suffering.' (Jeremiah 15:15) And let the prophet say these things, pursued by those who were convicted, hated by those who do not make room for the truth; for he became an enemy to those who hear, speaking truly to them. And let our Savior also say the same, who was also pursued by the people and says: 'Not unto long-suffering.' (Jeremiah 15:15; 1 Pet 3:20 (cf. Long–suffering of God)) What is 'not unto long-suffering'? You were always long-suffering toward the people upon their sins, but upon the things dared against me do not be long-suffering. And truly God was not long-suffering.

If you examine the times of the passion and of Jerusalem's fall and of the city's demolition, and how God abandoned that people since they killed the Christ, you will see that he no longer used long-suffering toward the people. And if you want, hear: from the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar until the demolition of the temple forty-two years were completed. For some short time had to be granted for repentance, especially because of those from the people who were going to believe from the signs and wonders that would come to be through the apostles.

Reproach for your words; share the prophets’ lot§14.14

14.14'Know that I received reproach concerning you from those who set aside your words.' (Jeremiah 15:15) Let the prophet, speaking and made nothing of for what he said, be set aside by sinners; for he himself says: 'I continued being mocked.' So he was reproached by those who set aside the words spoken through him by God, and he prays, upon being reproached, to be helped by God saying: 'Know that I received reproach concerning you from those who set aside your words; finish them.' (Jeremiah 15:15) Let the prophet say it, but 'finish them' spoken by the Savior fits better; for a finishing came upon Jerusalem and the people, upon what happened from the people's plot against our Savior.

After these things it is necessary—because the prophets suffered much convicting and ambassadoring the word and taking what was commanded by God—to remind the hearers about their life and their promises and our choice, so that as far as we can, if we want to have rest with the prophets, we may zealously imitate the prophets' works.

What I mean is like this: often in prayers we say: Almighty God, give our portion with the prophets, give our portion with the apostles of your Christ, that we may also be found with Christ himself. And saying these things we do not perceive what we pray; for in effect we say this: grant us to suffer what the prophets suffered, grant us also to be hated as the prophets were hated, give such words for which we will be hated, grant us to fall into as many circumstances as the apostles. For to say 'give me a portion with the prophets' while neither having suffered the prophets' things nor wanting to suffer is unjust. To say 'give me a portion with the apostles' while not wanting from Paul's disposition, speaking truly, to say: 'In toils more abundantly, in blows more abundantly, in prisons beyond measure, in deaths often' and what follows, is most unjust of all. If then we want to come to be with the prophets, look at the prophets' lives—that from convicting, from rebuking, from striking they were judged, examined, condemned. 'They were stoned, they were sawn, they were tested, they died by murder of sword, they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, lacking, afflicted, mistreated, wandering upon deserts' (Hebrews 11:37–38)—when there were many synagogues of Jews; and these were 'wandering upon deserts and mountains and caves and the holes of the earth.' What then is strange if someone wanting to zealously imitate the prophetic life, convicting, striking the one who sins, is spoken ill of, hated, plotted against? Just as also in the present such a thing had to come to be into God's church. The one who was condemned was condemned; so-and-so sitting did such things; there had to be church vindication, and it came to be; the one entrusted with the work did what he ought to have done. That one goes about speaking ill of the one who vindicated the truth. But let us not do this; let us not lend our ears to those who, because they have been cast out, speak ill of the one who cast out or of the one who became a fellow voter. The marvelous apostles, insulted countless times because of the truth, say: 'I am well pleased in weaknesses, in insults and necessities, in persecutions and distresses, for Christ.' Only may I, being insulted, know that I am insulted for no other reason than for Christ; coming into necessities, know that the ground of the necessities is Christ. May I, being abused, know that the pretext of the abuse is no other than that I vindicate the truth and ambassador for what is written, so that according to God's word everything may come to be—for this reason I am blasphemed. So let us all too, as much strength as there is, hasten upon the prophetic life, upon the apostolic life, not fleeing what is burdensome; for if an athlete flees the burdensome of the contest, he will not receive the pleasant of the crown.

Your word will become joy; I did not sit with those who play§14.15

14.15'And your word will be to me for gladness.' (Jeremiah 15:16) It is not now, but 'it will be'; for upon the present your word is to me for imprisonments, for lawsuits, for affairs, for ill repute, for toils, but the end of these will be gladness. 'And your word will be to me for gladness and joy of my heart, because your name has been called upon me, Lord Almighty.' (Jeremiah 15:16) Even if Christ says it, the Father's name has been called upon him. 'I did not sit in their council of those playing.' (Jeremiah 15:17) If ever the prophet saw the council not of those serious but of those playing, he fled rather gathering than hastened upon a synagogue of those playing. So you must understand a difference between a council of those playing and of those serious. This council is serious and does everything with seriousness and things worthy of seriousness and according to what is said: seriousness is the word, seriousness is the life, and everywhere the council is not of those playing but of those serious.

But when the council, leaving the seriousness about what is necessary, has leisure for the games of this age and games from wickedness, it becomes a council of those playing. So this one says: 'I did not sit in their council of those playing, but I was cautious from before your hand.' (Jeremiah 15:17) Two things being set before me—to sit in a council of those playing and to stumble against you God and not please you, or to rise from a council of those playing and do the things that were dear to you—I chose rather to stand up from the council of those playing and be a friend to you than, doing the contrary, to become an enemy to your blessedness. 'I did not sit in their council of those playing, but I was cautious from before your hand.' And our Savior did not sit 'in their council of those playing,' but stood away from them. And a sign that the Savior has been raised from a council of those playing is his having said: 'Your house is left to you desolate.' For the Word of God has left the Jews' council and made for himself another council and church—the one from the nations.

I sat alone and was filled with bitternesses§14.16

14.16'I was sitting alone.' And the words are managed here. Whenever there is a multitude of sinners and they do not bear the righteous living righteously, it is not out of place for one fleeing the council of wickedness to imitate the one who said: 'I was sitting alone,' to imitate also Elijah who says: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have dug down your altars, and I alone have been left, and they seek my soul to take it.' (1 Kings 19:10, 14) And perhaps even if you examine more deeply 'I was sitting alone,' you will find some mind worthy of prophetic depth. Whenever we imitate the life of the many, so as not to be withdrawn and better and exceptional beside the many, I cannot say: 'I was sitting alone,' but: I was sitting with many.

But when my life becomes hard to imitate, so that I become so great that no one is near me in character, in word, in deeds, in wisdom, then I can say—because of being alone such and no one imitating me—'I was sitting alone.'

So it is possible even if you are not an elder and not a bishop and not honored with some church honor to say this, to zealously imitate 'I was sitting alone' and take up a life so as to say: 'I was sitting alone.' 'Because I was filled with bitternesses.' (Jeremiah 15:17) If 'narrow and afflicted is the way,' how does your feast come to be with bitter herbs? For when you feast, it says 'you shall eat unleavened breads upon bitter herbs.' (Exodus 12:8; Num 9:11) What the word wants saying that the one feasting to God must eat 'unleavened breads upon bitter herbs' (1 Corinthians 5:8) must be considered. The apostle interpreted the unleavened breads; the interpretation is not mine; but what follows of the interpretation must necessarily be near the apostolic interpretation.

The apostle interpreted the things about the unleavened breads saying: 'Let us feast not in old leaven nor in leaven of wickedness and evil, but in unleavened breads of sincerity and truth.' (1 Corinthians 5:8) It is necessary to give the account about the bitter herbs following upon the unleavened breads being of sincerity and truth. Have sincerity and truth, and bitter herbs will be yours, and you eat with bitter herbs the unleavened breads of sincerity and truth—as Paul. Since he ate the unleavened breads of sincerity and truth, he also ate bitter herbs. How did he eat bitter herbs? Saying 'I have become your enemy speaking truly to you.' How did he eat bitter herbs? 'In toil and labor, and in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, apart from the things besides.' (2 Corinthians 11:27–28)

So the law said: 'You shall eat unleavened breads with bitter herbs'; and it did not say: you shall eat unleavened breads with bitter herbs until you are filled, as upon certain other things it has been said: 'You shall eat and be filled.' But the prophet presses further saying that I did not eat bitterness, but 'I was filled with bitternesses'; as much strength as there was I partook of bitter affairs, so as to partake with the fullest bitter herbs.

Why do those who hate me overpower me?§14.17

14.17'Why do those who hate me overpower?' (Jeremiah 15:18) He had many affairs; he suffered from those not wanting to hear what is true, and those were more powerful than him here in this age, since the kingdom of God is not from this age but from the better places, as the Savior says: 'If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would have fought, that I not be handed over to the Jews.' So those grieving the prophet overpowered him in this world. That they are strong—look at the martyrs. The judge sits judging and living luxuriously in the lawcourt; the Christian, in whom Christ is being judged, was filled with bitternesses and has been overpowered by the unjust and is condemned.

My wound is hard; if you turn I will restore you§14.18

14.18'My wound is hard; from where will I be healed?' (Jeremiah 15:18) Those who overpower me strike me, and my wound is hard. Whether he prophesies the Lord's cross (for the cross is a hard wound, as far as it lies with those who crucify him), or whether it is said about all the righteous in whom he receives a hard wound, or even if you hear this upon the prophet (for he too suffered the things written in the prophecy), it admits the same sense according to the wording that says: 'My wound is hard.' 'From where will I be healed?' Even if the Savior says: 'From where will I be healed?' he prophesies the resurrection from the dead after the hard wound; and even if it is taken upon the righteous, after the wounds healing comes again. 'Coming to be it became for me as false water, not having faith'; for the wound does not remain but passes. 'Therefore thus says the Lord: If you turn, I will also restore you.' These things are said again toward each whom God will call to turn toward him. And a mystery seems to me to be announced here in the 'I will restore you.' No one is restored into some place never having been there at all, but restoration is into what is one's own. For example if a limb of mine becomes dislocated, the physician tries to make a restoration of the dislocation.

Whenever someone comes to be outside the fatherland, whether justly or unjustly, and then receives again the power to be in the fatherland according to the laws, he was restored upon his own fatherland. Think the same with me also upon a soldier cast out from his own battle-line and being restored. So here he says toward us who turned away that, if we turn, he will restore us. For the end of the promise is also such, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles in the 'until times of restoration of all things which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old' (Acts 3:21) in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Share the prophets’ rest by their freedom§15.1

15.1Those who pronounce the prophets blessed, and in blessing them pray to have their share with the prophets, gather from the prophetic words the choice things of their prophecy. They seek to be persuaded that if they live according to those things—even if something harsh meets them in this life when they imitate the prophetic life—they will obtain rest and blessedness with the prophets.

From many places one can gather the prophets’ excellences: their freedom, their taut energy, their watchfulness, their being aroused—that when circumstances came they did not worry, because of that freedom, only that they might rebuke, only that they might turn people back, as prophets do when they speak the word of God with boldness, striking those who sin, even if those being rebuked seemed able to do great things.

But even if one can do this from everywhere, let us see it also from what was read today. The prophet rebuked many, and the prophet spoke to many; for he lived among people who had become sinners, as is clear from the captivity that took place in his times. Having rebuked many, and having been judged by many, he utters such words as these (Jeremiah 15:10).

A man judged and examined in all the earth§15.2

The Savior judged with all the earth§15.3

15.3This prophetic word is more properly referred to the Savior. Grant that the prophet says it; yet he will not say it truly, but perhaps by exaggeration—for he was not examined against all the earth. But if I come to my Savior and Lord, and especially because he will come to judgment, and because of the word 'that you may be justified in your words, and may prevail when you are judged,' (Psalm 51:4) I will see that my Savior and Lord is about to stand before the Father, being judged with all of us humans. And he is judged with all humans. I mean: he is judged, he himself is examined, and he stood defending the truth—not as an accuser. 'Woe is me, mother, as what man did you bear me—a man judged and examined in all the earth?' (Jeremiah 15:10) A prophet cannot say 'in all the earth.'

But some who love the Lord are also angry and say that the Savior does not speak this, that the voice is not fitting for the Son of God. Yet one must show that 'Woe is me, mother' is not alien to the Son of God: 'My soul is very sorrowful unto death,' (Matthew 26:38) and 'My soul is troubled,' and of the things said in the prophets likewise also here: 'Woe is me, mother, as what man did you bear me—a man judged and examined in all the earth' (Jeremiah 15:10)—or when the gleaning has failed for finding a cluster: 'Woe is me, soul, for the godly one has perished from the earth, and the one who acts uprightly among men does not exist.'

Who says there, 'Woe, for I became as one gathering stubble in harvest'? Does the prophet gather, and want to gather? Does the prophet have a field? But it belongs to no one to gather everything from the harvest and from what was sown, except the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Since therefore there are many falls among the nations, and also sins among us, he says: 'Woe is me, for I became as one gathering stubble.' Let each of us examine himself: is he an ear of grain? Will the Son of God find in him something to glean or to harvest? We will find that some of us are wind-blasted; and if we still have a little in ourselves—two or three grains—our sins are many upon us.

Seeing then also the churches that are so called, filled with sinners, he says: 'Woe, for I became as one gathering stubble in harvest and as a gleaning in vintage.' He came seeking fruit in the vineyard; for each of us is planted, and as a vine 'in a rich place,' and 'he transplanted a vine from Egypt,' and 'I planted you a fruitful vine, wholly true.' He comes, and seeks somehow to glean; he finds some gleaning and short clusters, not flourishing and not many. Which of us has clusters of virtue? Which of us has offspring of God?

Woe from the Savior’s soul, not from Godhead§15.4

15.4Let these things be said by me as in a digression upon 'Woe is me, mother.' For it is not alien to the divinity of our Savior, when he beholds the sins of men, that the saying 'Woe is me' should now belong to the Savior—not as God but as man, not as Wisdom but as soul. I set beside it that prophetic word: 'Woe is me, soul, for the godly one has perished from the earth, and the one who acts uprightly among men does not exist.' (Micah 7:2) The blessed soul came upon human life; it took a body for the sake of men. If it sees the sins, it says to the Father: 'What profit is there in my blood, in my going down into corruption? Will dust confess to you?' (Psalm 30:9)

But upon us let him not say 'Woe is me,' and upon us let the angels of the heavens not say it. When our Savior says 'Woe is me,' they too will say 'Woe is me'; for they are not better than our Savior, and they also see our stumbles. But blessed are those over whom the angels will not say 'Woe is me,' but rather bless them: for 'there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents rather than over ninety-nine who have no need of repentance.' These things for comfort.

'Woe is me, mother, as what did you bear me?' Whom does he call mother? Among women can he not mean both the soul and Mary? But if someone accepts the word, 'My mother the Holy Spirit recently took me and brought me up to the great mountain Tabor,' and what follows, he can see his mother. 'Woe is me, mother, as what man did you bear me—a man judged and examined in all the earth?' He is judged in all the earth and examined, and he is about to say to each: I have done these things and these, and my economy has worked these things and these, and I endured for your salvation. When the Savior says these things, what shall we do? For he is about to be examined in all the earth.

I owed nothing, and no one owed me§15.5

15.5I want to see what follows. It can be referred both to the prophet, according to one narrative, and to the Savior. Let us look also at what comes next: 'I owed nothing, and no one owed me.' (Jeremiah 15:10 or John 14:30) 'The ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in me.' (John 14:30) And truly he owed nothing. But each of us is a debtor by sins and a debtor holding a certificate of debt. After his certificate has been wiped out, how many certificates have they made again? 'He who did no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth,' (1 Peter 2:22 or Isa 53:9) made no certificate of debt.

And what of 'no one owed me'? How shall we explain this of the Savior—'no one owed me'? Even if we have read it this way, we must also know that most copies of the Seventy’s edition do not have it so; later, when we examined the remaining editions as well, we learned that it is a scribal error. And yet—'not even one' to me. So that not even one owed him anything: he forgave all their debts. 'A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they had nothing to repay, he forgave them both.' (Luke 7:41–43)

Do you want to see the two debtors—the one who owed five hundred and the one who owed fifty? From two peoples they have believed in God. The people from the Jews, unbelieving toward Christ, owes the fifty; perhaps we from the nations, who have become more impious than all, owe the five hundred—those of whom it is also said concerning that repentant woman. And yet someone might ask how the five hundred is referred to her. From the word 'and what sort of woman is this who touches him,' to which he said to Simon: 'A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty,' and what follows.

These things because of 'I owed nothing, and no one owed me,' which it was necessary to set before you. 'I owed nothing, and no one owed me; my strength failed among those who curse me.' Even if he died 'from weakness, yet he lives from the power of God.'

Cursed is the one who hopes in man§15.6

15.6Then, after many words have gone by, it would indeed have been necessary to speak about each of the things said; but there is no room, with time pressing on. Let us therefore speak to what follows, taking up: 'Cursed is the man who has his hope upon a man.' (Jeremiah 17:5) From those who suppose that the Son of God, the Savior, was merely a man—for they dared, along with many human evils, to say also this, that there is no God who is 'the only-begotten,' 'the firstborn of all creation'—'cursed' is 'the one who has his hope upon a man.' It is clear that those who have their hope upon a man are under a curse.

I would say that I do not have my hope upon a man. Hoping upon Christ Jesus, I do not know a man. Not only do I not know a man, but I know Wisdom, absolute Righteousness, the one through whom 'all things were created' among the authorities. 'Cursed is the man who has his hope upon a man.' (Jeremiah 17:5) Even if the Savior bears witness that what he wore was a man—yet even if he was a man, now he is in no way a man. For 'if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet we know him so no longer,' (2 Corinthians 5:16) says the apostle. Through him I am no longer a man, if I follow his words; but he says: 'I said, You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High.' Therefore, as he is 'firstborn from the dead,' so he has become firstborn of all humans by changing them toward God.

'Cursed,' then, 'is the man who has his hope upon a man, and will strengthen the flesh of his arm'—whoever ratifies the fleshly things, whoever acquires bodily strength and campaigns according to the flesh. But the holy one is not like that: for 'he does not strengthen the flesh of his arm,' for he 'always' has 'the dying of Jesus in his body,' and he puts to death 'the members that are upon the earth—fornication, uncleanness.' Having put these to death, 'he does not strengthen the flesh of his arm.'

'Cursed is the one who has his hope upon a man.' And at the same time this is said toward those who hope in dignities. So-and-so is my friend; he is a centurion, he is a steward; so-and-so is my friend and is rich and supplies me. Then toward such a person also this is said: 'Cursed is the man who has his hope upon a man.' We hope upon no human being, even if they seem to be our friends; for we do not hope upon them but upon our Lord, who is Christ Jesus, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Fishers of men, then hunters on the mountains§16.1

Seek the mountains and the cleft of the rock§16.2

16.2If then you wish to be caught by the hunters, take care not to make your sojourns in the valleys, nor to linger somewhere low, but seek the mountains. Go up to the mountain where Jesus was transformed; go up to the mountain on which Jesus, seeing the crowds, went up, and the disciples followed him, where 'opening his mouth he taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens,' (Matthew 5:3) and the beatitudes that follow these.

And it is not possible for these hunters to catch anyone from elsewhere than from the mountains and the hills and from the clefts of the rocks. For these three things are spoken in the prophet: 'For I will send many hunters, and they will hunt them upon every mountain and upon every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.' (Jeremiah 16:16)

From where then shall I understand the rocks and the clefts in the rocks? I come to Exodus, seeking to find a trace of an account of the clefts of the rocks; I find Moses there wanting to know God, and God promising him and saying: 'Behold, I will set you in a hole of the rock, and you will behold my back parts; but my face will not be seen by you.' (Exodus 33:22-23) If you understand the rock there and see the hole in the rock, seeing, you look upon God through the hole of the rock, and you will also see the many rocks and their clefts. Which then is that rock—the one rock? 'And the rock was Christ'; for 'they drank from a spiritual rock that followed,' (1 Corinthians 10:4) and 'he set my feet upon a rock' is said in the ninth and thirtieth Psalm. What is the hole in the rock? If you see Jesus’ sojourn, understanding him wholly as rock, you will see the hole according to his sojourn, through which hole the things after God are contemplated. For such a thing is meant in: 'and you will see my back parts.'

Many rocks: prophets, apostles, angels§16.3

Stay in the clefts; treasure in heaven§16.4

First the double repayment, then the fire’s test§16.5

16.5So that those who were fished and afterward came into the mountains may not suppose that these things have come to them from righteousness, the word reminds not only them but also us of the former sins. Therefore after the benefits it is said: 'And their injustices were not hidden before my eyes.' (Jeremiah 16:17 or Jer 16:17)

What follows is about to put a contest before us. For if we understand it as following, we will take careful thought about the repayment of the sins; and if it seems not to follow what was set out before about those being fished and hunted, even so it throws us into no small contest. For he says: 'And I will repay first double their injustices and their sins, with which they profaned my land in the carcasses of the abominations and by their lawless deeds with which they filled my inheritance.' (Jeremiah 16:18) Whether some, not understanding, removed the 'first' from what is written, or the Seventy managed to remove it, God would know. But we, comparing with the remaining editions, found it lying there: 'And I will repay first double their injustices,' (Jeremiah 16:18) so that it may be shown that even if through their second works they were worthy of blessedness, since they are humans and have come to be in sins, they must first receive their sins.

And see whether the word is not true. Who will not receive the sins—except the one who, after believing and receiving forgiveness of sins (so as to hear Jesus say: 'Your sins are forgiven you'), no longer sins? But if after the forgiveness of sins and the economy of the washing of regeneration we sin—as we the many do, who have not been perfected like the apostles—and after sinning, and while sinning, also do some things that are due, what awaits us must be considered. If we leave life holding sins and also holding brave deeds, will we be saved through the brave deeds and released concerning the things we sinned in knowledge? Or will we be punished through the sins and nowhere receive a wage for the brave deeds? But neither the one—I mean receiving the worse and not receiving the better—is according to the just God, nor the other—I mean receiving the better and not receiving the worse—is according to the just God, who wants to cleanse and cut out the wickedness.

For grant that you have built, after the foundation Christ Jesus whom you were taught, not only gold and silver and precious stone—if indeed you have gold, much gold or little; grant that you have silver, precious stone; but not only these, I say—grant that you also have wood and hay and straw. What do you wish to happen to you after departure? Either to enter into the holy things with your wood and with your hay and straw, so as to defile the kingdom of God? Or again do you wish to remain because of the hay, the wood, the straw in the fire and receive nothing for the gold and silver and precious stone? This too is not reasonable.

First the consuming fire, then the goods§16.6

16.6What then? First it follows that, because of the wood, one receive the fire that consumes the wood and the grass and the straw. For our God is said—by those able to understand—to be by substance a consuming fire. And the prophet was silent about what it consumes when he said: 'Our God is a consuming fire,' but he left it for us to understand. Because he said 'God is a consuming fire,' there is something that is consumed. What then is consumed? He does not consume that which is according to the image and likeness; he does not consume his own creature, but the grass built upon it, the wood built upon it, the straw built upon it.

The place was extremely hard to narrate. There were promises, and after the promises he says: 'And I will repay first double their injustices.' (Jeremiah 5:3 or Deut 4:24) The 'first' is necessarily set beside it; for first the things of injustice are repaid, then the things of righteousness, for God does not repay in reverse. If he first repaid the goods so that we might receive the goods, and now repaid the evils, the goods would have to stop so that we might receive the evils. But first we will receive the evils, and after these the goods, so that through the disappearance of the evils the punishment of those who suffered may come to an end, and after these he may repay the goods.

Therefore you will find in the holy writings God saying first the things that seem more gloomy and after these the better: 'I will kill and make alive; I will strike, and I will heal.' (Deuteronomy 32:39) 'He himself causes pain and again restores; he struck, and his hands healed.' (Job 5:18) Upon these things the one who understands and is piously set toward what is said can say: 'Lord, who will sojourn in your tent? Or who will encamp on your holy mountain? Walking blameless and working righteousness, speaking truth in his heart; who has not dealt deceitfully with his tongue, and has not done evil to his neighbor, and has not taken up a reproach against those nearest him.' (Psalm 15:1) (But we reproach even those who repent and turn back, though Scripture says: 'Do not reproach a man turning away from sin.') 'He has not taken up a reproach against those nearest him; an evildoer is despised before him, but he honors those who fear the Lord.' We will receive our sins.

Why the sins are repaid double§16.7

Nations from the end of the earth§16.8

Making gods from doctrines of the soul§16.9

16.9'If a man will make gods for himself.' (Jeremiah 16:20) Not only from statues do men make gods for themselves, but you will also find them making gods for themselves from moldings of the mind. For as many as can mold another god and another world-making besides the one written up by the Spirit—a management of the world besides the true world—all these have made gods for themselves and have worshiped the works of their hands. Consider, for example, among the Greeks those who generated doctrines of this philosophy or that, or among the heresies those who first generated doctrines: these made idols for themselves and moldings of the soul, and turning they worshiped the works of their hands, accepting their own moldings as truth.

Therefore the word, refuting all who make gods for themselves both sensibly and intelligibly, says: 'If a man will make gods for himself—and these are not gods? For this reason I will show them my hand at this time, and I will make known to them also my power.' At what time, if not this one—pointing to the time of the Lord’s presence? 'And they will know,' he says, 'that my name is Lord.'

Judah’s sin engraved on the heart§16.10

16.10Then there is another prophecy, which somehow we did not find among the Seventy, but we found in the remaining editions—clearly lying in the Hebrew—and it is filled with most necessary matters that can, if we pay attention, turn our soul back. The words run thus: 'The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen, engraved with an adamant point upon the breast of their heart.' (Jeremiah 17:1)

It is easier to give oneself over and say: These things are written about the Jews, that their sin 'is written.' But if you see, as we have often shown, Judah spoken tropically as Christ, perhaps 'the sin of Judah' is ours—of those who believe upon Christ who is from the tribe of Judah. And if you can also hear it more mystically another way, perhaps it prophesies about Judas who handed him over, so that the prophecy about him says: 'The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen, engraved with an adamant point upon the breast of the heart.' (Luke 8:17 || Matt 10:26) But again 'their' does not follow for that one. Perhaps then he was speaking upon us: if we become sinners, these prophesied things reach us.

We have sinned, and our sin is not written outside us, but in our heart, and it is written 'with an iron pen, with an adamant point.' (Jeremiah 17:1) That the sins we commit are inscribed into us by the sinning, the matter itself will show. I did not know this deed or this sin in myself; having done it I have its imprint, and as it were the imprint of my committed sin has been written in my soul. And if my sin had been written with ink, I would have wiped it away; but now it is written 'with an iron pen,' written 'with an adamant point,' written 'upon the breast of our heart,' so that I may come to the place of teaching and the prophecy that says may be fulfilled: 'Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, and nothing covered that will not be revealed.' (Isaiah 46:10 || Acts 15:18) My breast was stripped bare, and the heart holding the written letters of the sin—'with the pen upon my breast and in my heart the imprints of my sins.' For 'nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest.'

From these things may the God of all deliver us, that we may rise into the glory that is in Christ, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages. Amen.

The partridge: crafty, unclean, not the Savior§17.1

The partridge gathers another’s creatures§17.2

17.2Let us begin from: 'A partridge called; it gathered what it did not bear.' (Jeremiah 17:11) Therefore the devil does not gather his own creatures; he does not gather what he begot; but when he calls, he gathers another’s creatures and makes them his own. A partridge called through Valentinus; a partridge called through Marcion; it called through Basilides, through all the heterodox. For none of those could speak the voice of Jesus: 'My sheep will hear my voice.' But the voice of Jesus is in Paul and Peter; therefore Paul said: 'Do you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me?' (2 Corinthians 13:3)

But the voice of the partridge that gathered what it did not bear is in those who lead astray and deceive, through their simplicity and lack of preparation, the simpler among the believers. Therefore 'a partridge called; it gathered what it did not bear, making its wealth not with judgment.' The partridge grew rich. See how many myriads are his; many have become the partridge’s—of the opposing power. And he made his wealth not caring about judgment and not having judgment, but acting without judgment. Therefore it is said that the partridge is 'making its wealth not with judgment.' But my Savior makes his wealth with judgment, and his wealth is judged and chosen.

In the middle of his days we abandoned him§17.3

17.3'And in the middle of his days they will abandon him.' (Jeremiah 17:11) We all who once came under the calling partridge—for he called not only through those named before, but also through all who simply deceive and, as if unto piety, summon godlessness unto doctrines contrary to the truth—but 'in the middle of his days' (Jeremiah 17:11) we have abandoned him. For all his days are the days of this age; but since Christ Jesus drew us out of the present evil age, therefore 'in the middle of his days' we have abandoned him.

'And at his end he will be a fool.' For when was he wise, that at his end he should become a fool? But we will say that he was wise; for 'the serpent was the wisest of all the beasts of the earth which the Lord God made.' (Genesis 3:1) Wise he was according to what is said in Isaiah: 'For I will bring upon the great mind, the ruler of the Assyrians. For he said: By strength I will do it, and by wisdom...' (Isaiah 10:12-13)

His end a fool; Christ the throne of glory§17.4

Heal me, Lord—you alone are my boast§17.5

Following without weariness; desire God’s day§17.6

17.6'Behold, they say to me: Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come. But I did not grow weary following after you.' (Jeremiah 17:16) Jesus says to you: 'Take up your cross and follow me,' and 'Leave all things and follow me,' and 'Whoever does not leave father and mother and follow after me is not worthy to be my disciple.' (Matthew 10:37-38) If then you become such that you always follow Jesus, you will also follow, and as long as you follow you will not grow weary; for 'there will be no toil in Jacob, nor will pain be seen in Israel.' (Numbers 23:21) There is no labor for the one following Jesus; the very following takes away the labor.

Therefore he himself says, so that we may no longer grow weary—having grown weary before we began to follow him: 'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' (Matthew 11:28) If then, laboring, we come to him and follow him, we will say: 'But I did not grow weary following after you.'

And it is consequent for us to say also: 'I did not desire a human day.' There is a day of a human, and there is a day of God. Let each of us desire the day of the resurrection of the holy ones, not that day concerning which it is written: 'Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord; and this is darkness and not light.' Who is the one who says: 'And I did not desire a human day'? The clarity of the word will convict us that we have desired a human day. Often when we have fallen sick and come into a fantasy of death, at the departure we beg the brothers who watch over us and say: Ask for me a leave, ask for me to remain in life. Saying these things we do not desire a holy day of God, but a human day. Therefore putting away love of the body and the desire for a human day, let us seek to see that day in which we will obtain the blessedness in Christ Jesus, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages. Amen.

Clay that can be remade; earthenware that cannot§18.1

Go down to the potter’s house§18.2

The vessel fell by itself from his hands§18.3

Spring and well; resurrection of the clay§18.4

18.4'And a word of the Lord came to me, saying: If as the potter I will not be able to do to you, house of Israel? says the Lord.' (Jeremiah 18:6) Each according to power understands what is written—one more on the surface, as taking the sense from them as from a spring on a plain; another more deeply, as drawing up from a well. And both can be benefited, since the same thing is a spring to the one and a well to the other. The Gospel bears witness when it narrates the things about the Samaritan woman; for there the same is named 'spring' and 'well,' and by turns it is sometimes called spring and sometimes well. Let the one who can consider, that he may know that the same thing in substance is a spring to the surface-minded and a well to the deeper.

This is a preface for me of the narration about to come, because of the clay vessel that fell apart from the potter’s hand and was molded again. Some considered these things more simply and understood. I will set their account and narration before you; after these things, if we have something deeper, we will narrate that too. Here, they say, the things about the resurrection can be shown. For if the clay vessel fell apart from the potter’s hands and from the same matter of the same clay he makes 'it another vessel as it was pleasing before him,' (Jeremiah 18:4) the potter God of our bodies, the craftsman of our construction, when this falls apart and is crushed for whatever cause, can take it up again and renew it and make it a more beautiful and better 'other vessel as it was pleasing before him to make.' Let this narration also have its grace.

Two nations in the potter’s hands§18.5

God “repents” as one speaking to children§18.6

18.6'At the end I will speak upon a nation or also upon a kingdom.' (Numbers 23:19 or 1 Sam 15:29) It will seem that the end has been spoken simply. But such a thing has been said. In 'I will speak upon a nation or kingdom,' (Jeremiah 18:7) the end is of this sort: 'I will tear down' is said as the end to the former nation; to the second: 'I will rebuild you.' And again 'I will uproot' is said to the former, and 'I will plant' to the second. Since then the end has been spoken, must the end come to be? God who does not repent is said according to Scripture to repent. And let us attend to the wording, that if we can make a defense how these things are said, we may accept the word.

'At the end I will speak,' he says, 'upon a nation or upon a kingdom to lift them away and destroy; and if that nation turns from their evils of which I spoke upon it, I will also repent concerning the evils which I planned to do to them. And at the end I will speak upon a nation or upon a kingdom to be built up and planted; and they will do the evil things before me so as not to hear my voice, and I will repent concerning the goods which I spoke to do to them.' (Jeremiah 18:8 or Jeremiah 18:7-10) Concerning the repentance of God we are required to make a defense; for it seems blameworthy and unworthy not only of God but even of the wise man to repent. For I do not conceive a wise man repenting; but the one who repents, as far as the custom of the word goes, repents over not having planned well. But God, being foreknower of the things to come, cannot have planned badly and for that reason repent. How then did Scripture introduce him saying 'I will repent'—and in the Kingdoms: 'I have regretted that I anointed Saul as king,' (1 Samuel 15:11) and generally: 'and repenting over the evils'?

But see what we are taught generally about God. On the one hand: 'God is not as a man to be deceived, nor as a son of man to be threatened,' and we learn that God is not as a man; and through another wording that God is as a man, when his economy is intertwined with human affairs. For 'of his greatness there will be no end,' and countless other things from the holy writings fit 'God is not as a man.' But when the divine economy is intertwined with human affairs, it bears the human mind and manner and wording.

And just as we, if we converse with a two-year-old child, babble because of the child—for keeping the dignity of perfect adult age without coming down to their dialect we cannot make the children understand—conceive something such also about God, whenever he manages the race of humans, and especially those still infants. See how we perfect men also change the names toward infants. Are we then imperfect? Or is it granted that one speaking to a child by accommodation speak a child’s dialect? And God indeed speaks to children; 'Behold,' says the Savior also, 'I and the children whom God has given me.' So then conceive also the Scripture saying: 'The Lord your God bore your manners, as if a man should bear the manners of his son.' Since then we repent, whenever God converses with us who repent he says: I repent; and threatening us he does not pretend to be a foreknower, but as speaking to infants he threatens.

I am fashioning evils—make them fall from my hand§18.7

18.7Next after the word about the two nations—the former to which the threat is given, and the second to which the promise is given—he says (clearly he spoke to the former): 'And now I said to men of Judah and to those inhabiting Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I fashion evils upon you.' (Jeremiah 18:11) Because these things which I fashion upon you are in my hand, they can fall away. Make these things fall away from my hand, that I may change the evils which I fashion upon you and do goods.

You would not find: 'Behold, I fashion goods upon you' (Jeremiah 18:11) and the things said next according to their proportion, that after this he might show that the goods which he fashions he releases from the hands, in order to make them evils. But he fashions evils according to the example said, and fashioning evils he manages (apart from the interpretation already given into 'it fell from my hands' (Jeremiah 18:4)), so that if it falls, even the end of the evils being fashioned—I do not know of what sort it may become (Jeremiah 18:10).

Do not walk behind your turnings-away§18.8

18.8'Let each turn from his evil way, and make your practices better.' (Jeremiah 18:11) Sometimes the more simple say: Blessed are the older humans, because they heard the Lord through the prophet saying: 'And the Lord spoke to them.' And now the Lord says also to us through the things written: 'Let each turn from his evil way'; the Lord himself converses with you saying: 'And make your practices better.'

But these answered to whom the exhortative words about repentance were spoken, and let us see what they answered, that we too may not answer such things. What then answering do they say? 'We will take courage, that we will go behind our turnings-away, and each of us will do the pleasing things of his evil heart.' (Jeremiah 2:30 or Jer 31:22) And if you do not say it in words, but your life is such as to sin, you also say by force through the evil deeds after the exhortative words: 'We will take courage…'

And what is 'we will go behind our turnings-away'? Those who began to put the hand to the plow and those being taught turned away from the base things. Whenever then someone putting the hand to the plow turns to the things behind, he will go 'behind his turnings-away'; for he will go behind those things from which he turned away, and he runs back upon those sins which he left. And of those hearing these things, whether catechumens who left the gentile life or faithful already advanced in stretching forward to the things ahead, if the life has become wretched, they say nothing other than: 'We will go behind our turnings-away, and each will do the pleasing things of his evil heart.' For there is an evil heart and there is a good heart. Therefore let no one go 'behind his turnings-away' nor do 'the pleasing things of his evil heart.'

'Therefore,' toward those answering these things, 'says the Lord: Ask now among the nations: Who has heard such fearful things which virgin Israel has done exceedingly?' If the church from the nations asks among the nations, it will be said: Hear what fearful things virgin Israel has done. For let us compare the life of those who sinned with the life of those who turned and believed, and we will know that those did fearful things, killing 'the Lord of glory,' but these turned to him who was killed and died by those for the sins of the world.

Three springs: rock, Lebanon, Spirit§18.9

Incense in vain; do not appear empty§18.10

Ask Jesus to open the reading§19.10

Pashhur strikes Jeremiah and is named Migrant§19.11

19.11Jeremiah prophesied, and Pashhur son of Immer the priest heard the words of the prophecy. And though, as is likely upon the bare sequence of the prophecy, many had heard Jeremiah, it is not quickly written that another heard except Pashhur. And Scripture cared to say also whose son he was—that of Immer—and that he was called a priest, and what rank he had among the people—that he had been appointed leading the house of the Lord at the time Jeremiah was prophesying these words.

And it is written that hearing the words of this prophecy Pashhur struck Jeremiah, and was not content with having struck him, but also threw him into a certain fall-pit. Scripture cared to say also where this fall-pit was—in the gate of Benjamin—and that the fall-pit was in a place where there was an upper room, and an upper room of no other than the house of the Lord. These things the Holy Spirit wrote as having come to be upon the prophecy to Jeremiah, and as having come from Pashhur.

Then it says: on the next day Pashhur led Jeremiah out of the fall-pit. And led out, Jeremiah said to Pashhur that the Lord did not call you this name Pashhur; another name has been set for you—as for Jacob, Israel; as for Abram, Abraham; as for Sarai, Sarah—so he has set for you the name Migrant. And for this reason he called you Migrant, because the Lord says: Behold, I give you into migration with all—with whom? Not with your wife and your sons and your daughters, but with your friends. And when you are given into migration, your friends will fall by a sword. Then, as there is a difference for those falling by a sword if they fall by a sword of enemies or by a sword of others, he says that the friends of the one who threw Jeremiah into the fall-pit will fall into a sword of their enemies. And your eyes, he says, will see these things prophesied. But you and all Judah I will give into the hands of the king of Babylon, after your friends suffer these things, and they will migrate them into Babylon and will cut them down; for the king of Judah and those from Judah they will cut down with a sword, and no longer is 'of their enemies' added, as upon the former who were said to be friends of Pashhur. Then he says: and I will give all the strength of this city and all the treasures of the king of Judah and all the labors of this city into the hands of their enemies (Jeremiah 20:5 (naming pattern)) (Jeremiah 15:11 (captivity theme)) (Jeremiah 20:4 (friends fall by sword)) (Jeremiah 20:5 (city strength given to enemies)).

Striking the prophet; Christ still gives his back§19.12

19.12The enchanters of the Egyptians also had rods that wanted to refute the rods of Moses and Aaron as not being from God. But the rods from God overturn those of the sophists and enchanters; 'Aaron’s swallowed them'—for it alone was enough for this even without Moses’ rod. So then Pashhur 'struck Jeremiah the prophet,' and with character: 'and he struck Jeremiah the prophet.' (Jeremiah 20:2) 'The prophet' is also added. Here then the one who struck Jeremiah the prophet.

And it is written in Acts that someone struck Paul, ordered by Ananias the high priest. Therefore Paul said: 'God is about to strike you, whitewashed wall.' (Acts 23:3) And until now Ebionites, ordered by an unlawful high-priestly word, strike the apostle of Jesus Christ with blasphemous words. And Paul says toward such a high-priestly word: 'God is about to strike you.' And such a high priest is handsome on the surface and a whitewashed wall.

Christ says: 'I have given my back to scourges, and my cheeks to blows, and I did not turn my face away from the shame of spit.' (Isaiah 50:6) The simple know these things only of that time when Pilate scourged him, when Jews planned against him. But I see Jesus daily 'giving his back to scourges.' Go into the synagogues of the Jews and see Jesus scourged by them with the tongue of blasphemy. See those gathered from the nations planning against Christians, how they take Jesus, and there too he 'gives his own back to scourges.' Consider the Word of God being insulted, spoken ill of, hated by the unbelievers. See that 'he gave his cheeks to blows,' and having taught that if someone strikes you on the cheek turn also the other, he himself does it. So many strike and scourge him, and he is silent and does not speak. For it is written that he does not speak when being scourged. And 'until now Jesus has not turned his face away from the shame of spit.'

The upper room and the fall-pit§19.13

Tomorrow he is led out; friends fall by the sword§19.14

19.14'And it came to be on the next day, and Pashhur led Jeremiah out of the fall-pit.' (Jeremiah 20:3) O Lord Jesus, come again; make these things clear also to me and to those who have come upon the spiritual food. How on 'the next day' does he himself lead 'Jeremiah out of the fall-pit'? For as long as today’s day stands—and today is this whole age—the sinner throws the prophet down into the fall-pit; but if the present day ceases and tomorrow comes, then having repented he leads him out from the fall-pit.

Then Jeremiah says to him what Pashhur will suffer. What does he say to him? 'Not Pashhur did he call your name, but Migrant. For thus says the Lord.' (Jeremiah 20:3) This Pashhur is about to be migrated according to the worth of the sins into Babylon—not alone, but also with his friends. For he is handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and goes away into Confusion and is punished for his sins, since 'he threw the prophet into the fall-pit.' (Jeremiah 20:2) Who then are the friends of Pashhur, the namesake of Blackness of mouth? All who have received his words, who have been blackened together with his blackened mouth, who have received doctrines of blackness. 'And they will fall by a sword of their enemies.' (Jeremiah 20:4) Those appointed over punishments—these are the ones who have the swords and make them fall; concerning whom the word prophesies and says: 'And your eyes will see.' These prophesied things, he says, 'your eyes will see.'

'And you and all Judah I will give into the hands of the king of Babylon.' Whoever of Judah is caught so sinful as to be worthy of the king of Babylon, of Confusion, will be handed over to him. And the king of Babylon receives those who sin. And the king of Babylon according to the history is Nebuchadnezzar, but according to the ascent is the evil one. And to this one the sinner is handed over, since he is both enemy and avenger. And that the sinner is handed over to him, let Paul teach you, where on the one hand he says about Hymenaeus and Alexander: 'whom I handed over to Satan,' and about the one who has fornicated: 'when you are gathered and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus, I have judged to hand over such a one to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved.'

You deceived me, Lord—and the fire in the bones§19.15

Wrath, anger, regret—worthy of the good God§20.1

20.1All the things written about God, even if they look discordant at first hearing, must be understood as worthy of the good God. Who will not say that things referred to God—that he has wrath, that he uses anger, that he regrets, even that he sleeps—look discordant? But each of these, for the one who knows how to hear dark words, will be found worthy of God.

For his wrath is not barren: as his word educates, so also his wrath educates; those not educated by word he educates by wrath. And it is necessary that God use the so-called wrath as he uses the so-named Word; for his Word is not such as everyone’s word. No one’s word is 'a living being,' no one’s word is 'God,' no one’s word was 'in the beginning' toward that one whose the Word was. So also God’s wrath is called wrath not as just anyone’s wrath. And as the Word of God has something strange beside every word of just anyone—being God, being Word as living, existing by itself, serving the Father—so once God’s so-called wrath was named, it has something strange and alien to every defined wrath.

So also his anger has something of its own; for it belongs to the purpose of the anger that refutes, wanting the one refuted to turn through the refutation. Word also refutes, as word educates; but word does not refute as anger refutes. Those not benefited by the refutation from the word will need the refutation from the anger. We said there is also a regret of God that looks discordant at first glance, since it is written: 'I have regretted that I anointed Saul as king.' (1 Samuel 15:11) Worthily seek also the regret, and do not think his regret has kinship with the regret of those who regret. As his Word had something exceptional, and his wrath something surpassing, and nothing was akin to these among the like-named, so also his regret is like-named with our regret; and like-named are those whose name alone is common, but the account of the substance according to the name is other. Therefore only the name is common of God’s anger and anyone’s anger, and only the name of anyone’s wrath and God’s wrath. So also upon regret. And the one able will seek what God’s regret works, what it worked. It took down Saul reigning lawlessly; it raised as king for the people the one according to God’s heart; for he said because of that good regret: 'I have found a man according to my heart, David son of Jesse.' (Acts 13:22) But all these things are a preface for me (Jeremiah 20:7).

God’s deception is of another kind§20.2

Father, physician, and Scripture’s hidden drugs§20.3

When a saving deception is better than a harmful truth§20.4

I became a laugh; hear my words§20.5

20.5Next after these he says he became a laugh. Hear the place. Jeremiah came to be in times of people most sinful—for in his days the captivity came to be—and they were so sinful as to sneer and laugh and mock whenever the prophet spoke the prophetic opening, 'Thus says the Lord.' The hearers laughed and sneered at what was said. The one deceived and benefited from being deceived guarded himself from saying 'Thus says the Lord.' Therefore he also, wanting to deceive for benefit from deceiving, said: I speak my own words to you, since you do not hear the Lord’s words. Then they offered their ears as to words of Jeremiah and heard words of God. These things the one who handed the place over to me said, examining the openings and beginnings of the prophecies.

There is then also a beginning of Jeremiah’s prophecy among us, as the Seventy have handed down—I do not know with what aim: 'The word of God which came upon Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah from the priests' (Jeremiah 1:1); but in the Hebrew and the remaining editions: 'Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah,' (Jeremiah 1:1 superscription) and all agreed to say: 'Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah.' Why then 'Words of Jeremiah'? Because his opening toward those not wanting to hear was: Hear my words.

And we also sometimes do such things when it appears profitable to us. Sometimes we bring words to those from the nations wanting to lead them to the faith, and if we see that they are slandered against Christianity and abominate the name and hate to hear that this word is of Christians, we do not pretend to speak a useful word of Christians. But when that word has been built up according to power by us, and we seem to take the hearer as one who has not heard what was said as it chanced, then we confess that this praiseworthy word was a word of Christians. And we do something near to the one who said no longer 'Thus says the Lord' but: Hear words of me, Jeremiah. These things because of 'I became a laugh.' And we are indignant if ever speaking we are laughed at, where such a Jeremiah says: 'I became a laugh all the day.' (Jeremiah 20:7)

Bitter word, blessed laughter, saving grief§20.6

20.6'For with my bitter word I will laugh.' (Jeremiah 20:8) There is a promise of laughter, of which promise the patriarch Isaac is namesake; for he is interpreted Laughter. And that laughter is a promise is clear from 'Blessed are those who weep now'—and the promise is 'that they will laugh.' As there is a promise 'they will be called sons of God,' and 'they will see God,' and 'they will inherit the earth,' and 'theirs is the kingdom of the heavens,' (Matthew 5:9) so there is a promise of laughter; to which promise the opposite—for the one being blessed—is weeping.

And you will seek whether this good laughter, according to one and another sense, agrees with the blessed weeping, but is opposed by another weeping stored up for the opposites. For 'Woe to those who laugh now, for they will mourn and weep' (Luke 6:25)—one weeping is the blessed, another is stored up for those who have lived badly. And whether even that one has a beneficial end, I do not know. Hear Paul. That he taught, he worked at grieving the hearers. And he confesses that then especially he rejoiced when someone was grieved by him; for he says: 'And who is the one who makes me glad if not the one grieved by me?' (2 Corinthians 2:2) And if someone is able to move a hearer’s soul, especially one who has sinned, he prays to speak such words which, announced from power and array and divinity and sacred thoughts, will shake the hearer’s soul and move it unto mourning and unto weeping and unto tears, so that the speaker rejoices when he sees the hearing turned and filled upon what is said. For where he leads unto promises, as through the narrow and afflicted way in being grieved unto life, he also leads through weeping unto the blessed laughter. But when he does not accomplish this, I fear lest he say such things: 'Woe to those who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.'

Toward what has this been said by me, if not wanting to hint that he says 'with my bitter word I will laugh,' and to set beside laughter a weeping, and that weeping which those laughing here will weep—perhaps God working to beget weeping in them? For 'there will be the weeping…'

I will call upon faithlessness and misery§20.7

Reproach for the word; fire in the bones§20.8

20.8'Because the word of the Lord became for me a reproach.' (Jeremiah 20:8) Blessed Jeremiah having no other reproach except the word of the Lord. But we wretched ones have reproaches not because of the word of the Lord but because of our own sins, and we are reproached for what we stumble in, and we are reviled for our evils. And the Savior does not want us to be reproached with such reproaches, saying: 'Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and say every evil word against you because of me. Rejoice in that day and leap.' (Matthew 5:11) The word of the Lord then, he says, became for me a reproach and a mockery every day.

Then understand how the prophets are well-minded humans and do not hide their own sins as we also do, speaking not only for those then but for all generations if they have sinned. And I hesitate to confess my sins before the few here, since the hearers are about to condemn me. But Jeremiah, having suffered something sinful, was not ashamed, but wrote up his own sin; for it was a sin, what follows in: 'And I said: I will by no means name the name of the Lord, and I will by no means speak still upon his name.' (Jeremiah 20:9) You were taught to do all things in the Lord’s name; and you say you will not name the Lord’s name? But what name will you name? 'You shall not remember the name of other gods in your hearts,' and you say this? He says then having suffered something human, which we also often risk. Especially if someone knows himself as having been miserable because of teaching and the word and having suffered and been hated, he often says: I withdraw; what to me and affairs? If from teaching I am in affairs, why do I not rather withdraw to desert and quiet? Something such the prophet also suffered.

But upon this the Lord is good who prevents such sins of such great ones. He did not leave the prophet to make true what he said, but even in this he made Jeremiah call upon faithlessness and make faithless what was said. For he said he would no longer name the Lord’s name. 'And it became,' he says, 'in my heart as a fire burning, flaming in my bones, and I am exhausted from every side and cannot bear it.' The word of the Lord became burning his heart.