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| On the Holy Theophany, or on Christ's Baptism.
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The Fourth
Homily.
On the Holy Theophany, or on
Christ’s Baptism.564
| 564 “A
Discourse by our sainted Father Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Cæsareia,
surnamed Thaumaturgus, on the Holy Theophany, or, as the title is also
given, on the Holy Lights.” |
O ye who are the friends of Christ, and the
friends of the stranger, and the friends of the brethren, receive in
kindness my speech to-day, and open your ears like the doors of
hearing, and admit within them my discourse, and accept from me this
saving proclamation of the baptism565
of Christ, which took place in the river Jordan, in order that your
loving desires may be quickened after the Lord, who has done so much
for us in the way of condescension. For even though the festival
of the Epiphany of the Saviour is past, the grace of the same yet
abides with us through all. Let us therefore enjoy it with
insatiable minds; for insatiate desire is a good thing in the case of
what pertains to salvation—yea, it is a good thing. Come
therefore, all of us, from Galilee to Judea, and let us go forth with
Christ; for blessed is he who journeys in such company on the way of
life. Come, and with the feet of thought let us make for the
Jordan, and see John the Baptist as he baptizes One who needs no
baptism, and yet submits to the rite in order that He may bestow freely
upon us the grace of baptism. Come, let us view the image of our
regeneration, as it is emblematically presented in these waters.
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be
baptized of him.”566
O how vast is the humility of the
Lord! O how vast His condescension! The King of the heavens
hastened to John, His own forerunner, without setting in motion the
camps567
of His angels,
without despatching beforehand the incorporeal powers as His
precursors; but presenting Himself in utmost simplicity, in
soldier-like form,568
| 568 Or
subaltern, ἐν τῂ
στρατιωτικῇ
μορφῇ. | He comes up to
His own subaltern. And He approached him as one of the multitude,
and humbled Himself among the captives though He was the Redeemer, and
ranged Himself with those under judgment though He was the Judge, and
joined Himself with the lost sheep though He was the Good Shepherd who
on account of the straying sheep came down from heaven, and yet did not
forsake His heavens, and was mingled with the tares though He was that
heavenly grain that springs unsown. And when the Baptist John
then saw Him, recognising Him whom before in his mother’s womb he
had recognised and worshipped, and discerning clearly that this was He
on whose account, in a manner surpassing the natural time, he had
leaped in the womb of his mother, in violation of the limits of nature,
he drew his right hand within his double cloak, and bowing his head
like a servant full of love to his master, addressed Him in these
words: I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to
me?569
What is this
Thou doest, my Lord? Why dost Thou reverse the order of
things? Why seekest Thou along with the servants, at the hand of
Thy servant, the things that are proper to servants? Why dost
Thou desire to receive what Thou requirest not? Why dost Thou
burden me, Thy servitor, with Thy mighty condescension? I have
need to be baptized of Thee, but Thou hast no need to be baptized of
me. The less is blessed by the greater, and the greater is not
blessed and sanctified by the less. The light is kindled by the
sun, and the sun is not made to shine by the rush-lamp. The clay
is wrought by the potter, and the potter is not moulded by the
clay. The creature is made anew by the Creator, and the Creator
is not restored by the creature. The infirm is healed by the
physician, and the physician is not cured by the infirm. The poor
man receives contributions from the rich, and the rich borrow not from
the poor. I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to
me? Can I be ignorant who Thou art, and from what source Thou
hast Thy light, and whence Thou art come? Or, because Thou hast
been born even as I have been,570
| 570 Or,
because for my sake Thou hast been born as I have been. | am
I, then, to deny the greatness of Thy divinity? Or, because Thou
hast condescended so far to me as to have approached my body, and dost
bear me wholly in Thyself in order to effect the salvation of the whole
man, am I, on account of that body of Thine which is seen, to overlook
that divinity of Thine which is only apprehended? Or, because on
behalf of my salvation Thou hast taken to Thyself the offering of my
first-fruits, am I to ignore the fact that Thou “coverest Thyself
with light as with a garment?”571
Or, because Thou wearest the flesh
that is related to me, and dost show Thyself to men as they are able to
see Thee, am I to forget the brightness of Thy glorious divinity?
Or, because I see my own form in Thee, am I to reason against Thy
divine substance, which is invisible and incomprehensible? I know
Thee, O Lord; I know Thee clearly. I know Thee, since I have been
taught by Thee; for no one can recognise Thee, unless He enjoys Thine
illumination. I know Thee, O Lord, clearly; for I saw Thee
spiritually before I beheld this light. When Thou wert altogether
in the incorporeal bosom of the heavenly Father, Thou wert also
altogether in the womb of Thy handmaid and mother; and though held in
the womb of Elisabeth by nature as in a prison, and bound with the
indissoluble bonds of
the children unborn, leaped and celebrated Thy birth with anticipative
rejoicings. Shall I then, who gave intimation of Thy sojourn on
earth before Thy birth, fail to apprehend Thy coming after Thy
birth? Shall I, who in the womb was a teacher of Thy coming, be
now a child in understanding in view of perfect knowledge? But I
cannot but worship Thee, who art adored by the whole creation; I cannot
but proclaim Thee, of whom heaven gave the indication by the star, and
for whom earth offered a kind reception by the wise men, while the
choirs of angels also praised Thee in joy over Thy condescension to us,
and the shepherds who kept watch by night hymned Thee as the Chief
Shepherd of the rational sheep. I cannot keep silence while Thou
art present, for I am a voice; yea, I am the voice, as it is said, of
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.572
| 572
Matt. iii. 3; Mark i. 3; Luke
iii. 4; John i. 23. | I have need to be baptized of Thee,
and comest Thou to me? I was born, and thereby removed the
barrenness of the mother that bore me; and while still a babe I became
the healer of my father’s speechlessness, having received of Thee
from my childhood the gift of the miraculous. But Thou, being
born of the Virgin Mary, as Thou didst will, and as Thou alone dost
know, didst not do away with her virginity; but Thou didst keep it, and
didst simply gift her with the name of mother: and neither did
her virginity preclude Thy birth, nor did Thy birth injure her
virginity. But these two things, so utterly
opposite—bearing and virginity—harmonized with one intent;
for such a thing abides possible with Thee, the Framer of nature.
I am but a man, and am a partaker of the divine grace; but Thou art
God, and also man to the same effect: for Thou art by nature
man’s friend. I have need to be baptized of Thee, and
comest Thou to me? Thou who wast in the beginning, and wast with
God, and wast God;573
Thou who art
the brightness of the Father’s glory;574
Thou who art the perfect image of the
perfect Father;575
Thou who art the
true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the
world;576
Thou who wast in
the world, and didst come where Thou wast; Thou who wast made flesh,
and yet wast not changed into the flesh; Thou who didst dwell among us,
and didst manifest Thyself to Thy servants in the form of a servant;
Thou who didst bridge earth and heaven together by Thy holy
name,—comest Thou to me? One so great to such a one as I
am? The King to the forerunner? The Lord to the
servant? But though Thou wast not ashamed to be born in the lowly
measures of humanity, yet I have no ability to pass the measures of
nature. I know how great is the measure of difference between
earth and the Creator. I know how great is the distinction
between the clay and the potter. I know how vast is the
superiority possessed by Thee, who art the Sun of righteousness, over
me who am but the torch of Thy grace. Even though Thou art
compassed with the pure cloud of the body, I can still recognise Thy
lordship. I acknowledge my own servitude, I proclaim Thy glorious
greatness, I recognise Thy perfect lordship, I recognise my own perfect
insignificance, I am not worthy to unloose the latchets of Thy
shoes;577
and how shall I
dare to touch Thy stainless head? How can I stretch out the right
hand upon Thee, who didst stretch out the heavens like a
curtain,578
and didst set
the earth above the waters?579
How shall I spread those menial
hands of mine upon Thy head? How shall I wash Thee, who art
undefiled and sinless? How shall I enlighten the light?
What manner of prayer shall I offer up over Thee, who dost receive the
prayers even of those who are ignorant of Thee?
When I baptize others, I baptize into Thy name, in
order that they may believe on Thee, who comest with glory; but when I
baptize Thee, of whom shall I make mention? and into whose name shall I
baptize Thee? Into that of the Father? But Thou hast the
Father altogether in Thyself, and Thou art altogether in the
Father. Or into that of the Son? But beside Thee there is
no other Son of God by nature. Or into that of the Holy
Spirit? But He is ever together with Thee, as being of one
substance, and of one will, and of one judgment, and of one power, and
of one honour with Thee; and He receives, along with Thee, the same
adoration from all. Wherefore, O Lord, baptize Thou me, if Thou
pleasest; baptize me, the Baptist. Regenerate one whom Thou didst
cause to be generated. Extend Thy dread right hand, which Thou
hast prepared for Thyself, and crown my head by Thy touch, in order
that I may run the course before Thy kingdom, crowned like a
forerunner, and diligently announce the good tidings to the sinners,
addressing them with this earnest call: “Behold the Lamb of
God, that taketh away the sin of the world!”580
O river Jordan, accompany me in the
joyous choir, and leap with me, and stir thy waters rhythmically, as in
the movements of the dance; for thy Maker stands by thee in the
body. Once of old didst thou see Israel pass through thee, and
thou didst divide thy floods, and didst wait in expectation of the
passage of the people; but now divide thyself more decidedly, and flow more easily, and
embrace the stainless limbs of Him who at that ancient time did convey
the Jews581
through
thee. Ye mountains and hills, ye valleys and torrents, ye seas
and rivers, bless the Lord, who has come upon the river Jordan; for
through these streams He transmits sanctification to all streams.
And Jesus answered and said to him: Suffer it to be so now, for
thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.582
Suffer it to be so now; grant the
favour of silence, O Baptist, to the season of my economy. Learn
to will whatever is my will. Learn to minister to me in those
things on which I am bent, and do not pry curiously into all that I
wish to do. Suffer it to be so now: do not yet proclaim my
divinity; do not yet herald my kingdom with thy lips, in order that the
tyrant may not learn the fact and give up the counsel he has formed
with respect to me. Permit the devil to come upon me, and enter
the conflict with me as though I were but a common man, and receive
thus his mortal wound. Permit me to fulfil the object for which I
have come to earth. It is a mystery that is being gone through
this day in the Jordan. My mysteries are for myself and my
own. There is a mystery here, not for the fulfilling of my own
need, but for the designing of a remedy for those who have been
wounded. There is a mystery, which gives in these waters the
representation of the heavenly streams of the regeneration of
men. Suffer it to be so now: when thou seest me doing what
seemeth to me good among the works of my hands, in a manner befitting
divinity, then attune thy praises to the acts accomplished. When
thou seest me cleansing the lepers, then proclaim me as the framer of
nature. When thou seest me make the lame ready runners, then with
quickened pace do thou also prepare thy tongue to praise me. When
thou seest me cast out demons, then hail my kingdom with
adoration. When thou seest me raise the dead from their graves by
my word, then, in concert with those thus raised, glorify me as the
Prince of Life. When thou seest me on the Father’s right
hand, then acknowledge me to be divine, as the equal of the Father and
the Holy Spirit, on the throne, and in eternity, and in honour.
Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. I am the Lawgiver, and the Son of the Lawgiver;
and it becometh me first to pass through all that is established, and
then to set forth everywhere the intimations of my free gift. It
becometh me to fulfil the law, and then to bestow grace. It
becometh me to adduce the shadow, and then the reality. It
becometh me to finish the old covenant, and then to dictate the new,
and to write it on the hearts of men, and to subscribe it with my
blood,583
and to seal it
with my Spirit. It becometh me to ascend the cross, and to be
pierced with its nails, and to suffer after the manner of that nature
which is capable of suffering, and to heal sufferings by my suffering,
and by the tree to cure the wound that was inflicted upon men by the
medium of a tree. It becometh me to descend even into the very
depths of the grave, on behalf of the dead who are detained
there. It becometh me, by my three days’ dissolution in the
flesh, to destroy the power of the ancient enemy, death. It
becometh me to kindle the torch of my body for those who sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death. It becometh me to ascend in
the flesh to that place where I am in my divinity. It becometh me
to introduce to the Father the Adam reigning in me. It becometh
me to accomplish these things, for on account of these things I have
taken my position with the works of my hands. It becometh me to
be baptized with this baptism for the present, and afterwards to bestow
the baptism of the consubstantial Trinity upon all men. Lend me,
therefore, O Baptist, thy right hand for the present economy, even as
Mary lent her womb for my birth. Immerse me in the streams of
Jordan, even as she who bore me wrapped me in children’s
swaddling-clothes. Grant me thy baptism even as the Virgin
granted me her milk. Lay hold of this head of mine, which the
seraphim revere. With thy right hand lay hold of this head, that
is related to thyself in kinship. Lay hold of this head, which
nature has made to be touched. Lay hold of this head, which for
this very purpose has been formed by myself and my Father. Lay
hold of this head of mine, which, if one does lay hold of it in piety,
will save him from ever suffering shipwreck. Baptize me, who am
destined to baptize those who believe on me with water, and with the
Spirit, and with fire: with water, capable of washing away the
defilement of sins; with the Spirit, capable of making the earthly
spiritual; with fire, naturally fitted to consume the thorns of
transgressions. On hearing these words, the Baptist directed his
mind to the object of the salvation,584
| 584 Or, to
the Saviour’s object. | and comprehended the mystery which he had
received, and discharged the divine command; for he was at once pious
and ready to obey. And stretching forth slowly his right hand,
which seemed both to tremble and to rejoice, he baptized the
Lord. Then the Jews who were present, with those in the vicinity
and those from a distance, reasoned together, and spake thus with
themselves and with each other: Was it, then, without cause that
we imagined John to be superior to Jesus? Was it without
cause that we considered the
former to be greater than the latter? Does not this very baptism
attest the Baptist’s pre-eminence? Is not he who baptizeth
presented as the superior, and he who is baptized as the
inferior? But while they, in their ignorance of the mystery of
the economy, babbled in such wise with each other, He who alone is
Lord, and by nature the Father of the Only-begotten, He who alone
knoweth perfectly Him whom He alone in passionless fashion begat, to
correct the erroneous imaginations of the Jews, opened the gates of the
heavens, and sent down the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, lighting
upon the head of Jesus, pointing out thereby the new Noah, yea the
maker of Noah, and the good pilot of the nature which is in
shipwreck. And He Himself calls with clear voice out of heaven,
and says: “This is my beloved Son,”585
| 585
Matt. iii. 17; xvii. 5; Mark
i. 11; Luke ix. 35. | —the Jesus there, namely, and not the
John; the one baptized, and not the one baptizing; He who was begotten
of me before all periods of time and not he who was begotten of
Zacharias; He who was born of Mary after the flesh, and not he who was
brought forth by Elisabeth beyond all expectation; He who was the fruit
of the virginity yet preserved intact, and not he who was the shoot
from a sterility removed; He who has had His conversation with you, and
not he who was brought up in the wilderness. This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased: my Son, of the same substance
with myself, and not of a different; of one substance with me according
to what is unseen, and of one substance with you according to what is
seen, yet without sin. This is He who along with me made
man. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This Son of mine and this son of Mary are not two distinct persons; but
this is my beloved Son,—this one who is both seen with the eye
and apprehended with the mind. This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased; hear Him. If He shall say, I and my Father are
one,586
hear Him.
If He shall say, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father,587
hear Him. If He shall say, He that
hath sent me is greater than I,588
adapt the voice to the economy. If He shall say, Whom do men say
that I the Son of man am?589
answer ye Him thus: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God.590
By these words,
as they were sent from the Father out of heaven in thunder-form, the
race of men was enlightened: they apprehended the difference
between the Creator and the creature, between the King and the soldier
(subject), between the Worker and the work; and being strengthened in
faith, they drew near through the baptism of John to Christ, our true
God, who baptizeth with the Spirit and with fire. To Him be
glory, and to the Father, and to the most holy and quickening Spirit,
now and ever, and unto the ages of the ages.
Amen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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