The Lord's Sermon on the Mount 2.20–2.24

But since the name of singleness can deceive some who desire to obey God’s precepts, so that they think it as faulty sometimes to conceal the truth as it is faulty sometimes to say what is false, and in this way, by disclosing things which those to whom they are disclosed cannot bear, they do more harm than if they concealed them altogether and always, he most rightly adds: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you apart.” For the Lord too, although he told no lie, yet showed that he concealed some truths, saying, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” And the apostle Paul says: “I could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal. As to little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not able; nor are you able even now, for you are still carnal.”

In this precept, by which we are forbidden to give what is holy to dogs and to cast our pearls before swine, we must carefully ask what is holy, what pearls, what dogs, what swine. Holy is that which it is wrong to violate and corrupt; and the attempt and will of that crime is held guilty, although the holy thing remains by nature inviolable and incorruptible. Pearls, again, are whatever spiritual things are to be highly valued; and because they lie hidden in secret, they are as it were dug up from the depth, and are found in the wrappings of allegories as in opened shells. It may be understood, then, that one and the same thing can be called both holy and a pearl: holy because it ought not to be corrupted, a pearl because it ought not to be despised. Now one tries to corrupt what he does not wish to be whole; but he despises what he holds cheap and thinks as it were beneath him; and therefore whatever is despised is said to be trodden underfoot. Wherefore, since dogs leap upon things to tear them apart, and do not allow what they tear apart to be whole, “Do not give,” he says, “what is holy to dogs”: because even if it cannot be torn apart and corrupted, but remains whole and inviolable, yet we must consider what they wish who resist the truth sharply and most hostilely, and, as far as is in them, try to destroy it if that could be done. But swine, although they do not attack with a bite as dogs do, yet defile things by trampling them everywhere: “Do not, then, cast your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you apart.” So we not unfittingly take the dogs as put for the assailants of the truth and the swine for its despisers.

And as for his saying, “Turn and tear you apart,” he does not say, tear the pearls themselves apart. For by trampling on those, even when they turn to hear something more, they yet tear apart him by whom the pearls they trampled were cast. For you will not easily find what could be pleasing to one who has trampled on pearls, that is, has despised divine things found with great labour. And as for one who teaches such people, I do not see how he would not be torn apart by indignation and vexation. Both animals, the dog and the pig, are unclean. We must beware, then, of disclosing anything to one who does not grasp it; for it is better that he seek what is closed than that he either assail or neglect what is open. Nor is any other cause found why they do not receive things that are manifest and great, except hatred and contempt, for the one of which they were named dogs, for the other swine. Yet all this uncleanness is conceived by the love of temporal things, that is, by love of this world, which we are commanded to renounce so that we may be clean. He, then, who seeks to have a pure and single heart ought not to think himself guilty if he conceals something because the one from whom he conceals it cannot grasp it. Nor is it to be thought from this that it is lawful to lie: for it does not follow that when the truth is concealed, something false is said. We must first act so that the hindrances are removed which make him unable to grasp it; because certainly, if he does not grasp it because of filth, he must be cleansed by word or deed, as far as we can do it.

And as for our Lord being found to have said certain things which many who were present did not receive, either by resisting or by despising them, he is not to be thought to have given what is holy to dogs, or to have cast pearls before swine: for he did not give to those who could not grasp them, but to those who could and were present at the same time, who were not to be neglected because of the uncleanness of others. And when tempters questioned him and he answered them so that they had nothing to say in reply, although they wasted away with their own poisons rather than being filled with his food, yet others who could grasp it heard many things profitably on their occasion. I have said this lest perhaps anyone, when he has been unable to answer a questioner, should think himself excused by this saying, if he says that he does not wish to give what is holy to dogs or cast pearls before swine. For he who knows what to answer ought to answer, if only for the sake of others, in whom despair arises if they believe that the question put cannot be solved: and this concerning useful things that pertain to instruction for salvation. For there are many things which can be asked by idle people, superfluous and vain and often harmful, about which nevertheless something must be said; but just this is to be disclosed and explained, why such things ought not to be asked. About useful things, then, one must sometimes answer what we are asked, as the Lord did when the Sadducees had asked him about the woman who had seven husbands, whose of them she would be in the resurrection. For he answered that in the resurrection they will neither take wives nor marry, but will be like the angels in heaven. But sometimes the one who asks is to be asked something else, which, if he says it, will answer for himself what he asked; but if he is unwilling to say it, it will not seem unjust to those present if he too does not hear what he asked. For those who asked, testing him, whether tribute should be paid were asked something else, namely whose image was on the coin which they themselves had produced; and because they said what they were asked, namely that the coin had Caesar’s image, they in a sense answered for themselves what they had asked the Lord; and so from their answer he concluded thus: “Render, then, to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And when the chief priests and elders of the people had asked him by what authority he did those things, he asked them about the baptism of John; and when they were unwilling to say what they saw would be said against themselves, and yet dared to say nothing evil about John because of those standing around, “Neither will I tell you,” he said, “by what authority I do these things”: which appeared most just to those standing around. For they said that they did not know what they in fact knew, but were unwilling to say. And truly it was just that those who wished to be answered what they had asked should first themselves do what they demanded be done toward themselves; and if they had done it, they would certainly have answered themselves. For they themselves had sent to John asking who he was; or rather, they themselves, priests and Levites, had been sent, thinking that he was the Christ, which he denied he was, and bore witness about the Lord; and if they had been willing to acknowledge this testimony, they would have taught themselves by what authority Christ did those things, which they had asked as if they did not know, so as to find an opening for slander.

Since, then, the precept had been given that what is holy should not be given to dogs, and pearls should not be cast before swine, a hearer could have come forward, conscious of his ignorance and weakness and hearing himself commanded not to give what he felt he had not yet received himself; he could have come forward, then, and said, “What holy thing do you forbid me to give to dogs, and what pearls to cast before swine, when I do not yet see that I have them?” Most fittingly, then, he added, saying, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Asking pertains to obtaining health and strength of mind, so that we may be able to fulfil what is commanded; seeking, to finding the truth. For since the blessed life is completed by action and knowledge, action requires ability of strength, contemplation the manifestation of things: the first of these, then, is to be asked, the second sought, so that the one may be given and the other found. But knowledge in this life is of the way rather than of the possession itself; but when anyone has found the true way, he will come to the possession itself, which, however, is opened to one who knocks. So, that these three, that is, asking, seeking, knocking, may be made plain, let us suppose by way of example someone who cannot walk because of weak feet: first, then, he must be healed and strengthened for walking; and to this pertains what he said, “Ask.” But what does it profit that he can now walk or even run, if he wanders on pathless roads? The second thing, then, is that he find the road which leads where he wishes to arrive; and when he has kept to it and arrived at the very place where he wishes to dwell, if he finds it shut, it will have profited him nothing to have been able to walk, or to have walked and arrived, unless it is opened: to this, then, pertains what was said, “Knock.”

And he gave and gives great hope who does not deceive in promising; for he says, “Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” So perseverance is needed, that we may receive what we ask, and find what we seek, and that what we knock at may be opened. And just as he dealt with the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, so that we might not despair of food and clothing being at hand for us, so that hope might rise from lesser things to greater, so too in this place: “Or what man is there among you,” he says, “who, if his son asks him for bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?” How do the evil give good things? But he called evil those who are still lovers of this world and sinners. And the good things which they give are to be called good according to their sense, because they hold these things for goods. Although in the nature of things too these are goods, but temporal ones and pertaining to this weak life; and whoever, being evil, gives them, does not give from his own; for “the earth is the Lord’s and its fullness,” who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things that are in them. How much, then, is it to be hoped that God will give good things to us who ask him, and that we cannot be deceived so as to receive one thing for another when we ask from him, when even we, though we are evil, know how to give what we are asked? For we do not deceive our children; and whatever good things we give, we give not from our own but from his.

Now firmness and a certain strength for walking on the way of wisdom is established in good morals, which are carried through to the cleansing and singleness of heart; and having now long been speaking of this, he concludes thus: “All things, therefore, whatever good things you wish that men should do to you, do so to them as well; for this is the Law and the Prophets.” In the Greek copies we find it thus: “All things, therefore, whatever you wish that men should do to you, do so to them as well.” But I think “good things” was added by the Latins to make the meaning plain. For it occurred to them that if anyone wished something shameful to be done to himself, he might refer this saying to that: as if someone wished to be challenged to drink immoderately and gorge himself with cups, and did this first to the one by whom he desires it to be done to himself; it is ridiculous to think that he has fulfilled this saying. Since this was disturbing, then, I think, one word was added to make the matter plain, so that after it was said, “All things, therefore, whatever you wish that men should do to you,” “good things” was added. But if it is lacking in the Greek copies, they too must be corrected: but who would dare to do this? It must be understood, then, that the saying is full and altogether perfect even if this word is not added. For what was said, “whatever you wish,” ought to be taken not in the common and loose sense, but in the proper sense. For will exists only in good things; for in evil and shameful deeds it is properly called desire, not will. Not that the Scriptures always speak properly, but where it is necessary they hold to the proper word in such a way as not to allow anything else to be understood.

Now this precept seems to pertain to love of neighbour, not also to love of God, since in another place he says there are two precepts on which the whole Law and the Prophets hang. For if he had said, “Whatever you wish to be done to you, do these things too,” he would have embraced both those precepts in this one saying: for it would quickly be said that each one wishes to be loved both by God and by men; and so, when he was commanded to do what he wished to be done to himself, he would certainly be commanded to love God and men. But since it was said more expressly of men, “All things, therefore, whatever you wish that men should do to you, do so to them as well,” nothing else seems to have been said than, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But we must not attend carelessly to what he added here: “For this is the Law and the Prophets.” In those two precepts he not only says, “the Law and the Prophets hang,” but also added, “the whole Law and the Prophets,” meaning the whole of prophecy; and by not adding it here he kept a place for the other precept, which pertains to love of God. But here, since he is following out the precepts of the single heart, and one must fear lest anyone have a double heart toward those from whom the heart can be hidden, that is, toward men, this very thing had to be commanded. For there is hardly anyone who would wish another to deal with him with a double heart. But this cannot happen, that is, that a man should give something to a man with a single heart, unless he gives in such a way that he expects no temporal advantage from him, and does it with that intention which we treated sufficiently above, when we spoke about the single eye.

The eye, then, cleansed and made single, will be fit and suitable for beholding and contemplating its inner light. For this is the eye of the heart. And he has such an eye who sets the goal of his good works, so that they may truly be good works, not in pleasing men; but even if it happens that he pleases them, he refers this rather to their salvation and to the glory of God, not to his own empty boasting; nor does he do some good for his neighbour’s salvation in order to obtain from it the things necessary for carrying on this life; nor does he rashly condemn a man’s mind and will in a deed in which it does not appear with what mind and will it was done; and whatever services he shows to a man, he shows with the intention with which he wishes them to be shown to himself, that is, so as not to expect any temporal advantage from him: thus the heart will be single and pure, in which God is sought. “Blessed, then, are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

But because this belongs to few, he now begins to speak of seeking and possessing wisdom, which is the tree of life; for seeking and possessing it, that is, contemplating it, such an eye has been led through all that went before, so that the narrow way and the strait gate can now be seen. What, then, he says next, “Enter through the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it: how strait is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it!”, he does not say because the Lord’s yoke is harsh or his burden heavy, but because few are willing to bring their labours to an end, believing too little the one who cries, “Come to me, all you who labour, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart: for my yoke is gentle and my burden light” (and it was from this, from the humble and meek of heart, that this sermon took its beginning); this gentle yoke and light burden many reject, few take up; and so it comes about that the way that leads to life is narrow, and the gate by which it is entered strait.

Here, then, those are especially to be guarded against who promise wisdom and knowledge of the truth which they do not have, such as the heretics, who for the most part commend themselves by their fewness. And therefore, when he had said that there are few who find the strait gate and the narrow way, lest they put themselves forward under the name of fewness, he immediately added: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.” But these do not deceive the single eye, which knows how to distinguish a tree by its fruits. For he says: “By their fruits you will know them.” Then he adds likenesses: “Do they gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree bears good fruit; but a bad tree bears bad fruit; a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

In this place the error of those is especially to be guarded against who think that from these very two trees there are two natures, of which one is God’s, and the other neither God’s nor from God. About this error there has already been fuller disputation in other books, and if that is still too little, there will be more; but now it must be shown that these two trees do not help them. First, because it is so clear that he is speaking of men that whoever reads what goes before and what follows will marvel at their blindness. Then they attend to what was said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit,” and therefore they think that neither can an evil soul come to be changed for the better, nor a good one for the worse; as if it had been said, “A good tree cannot become bad, nor a bad tree good.” But it was said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” For the tree is the soul itself, that is, the man himself, and the fruits are the works of the man: so an evil man cannot do good works, nor a good man evil ones. If, then, an evil man wishes to do good works, let him first become good. So the Lord himself says more plainly in another place: “Either make the tree good, or make the tree bad.” But if he were figuring the two natures of these people by these two trees, he would not say “make”: for who among men can make a nature? Then too, when he had made mention there of these two trees, he added: “Hypocrites, how can you speak good things when you are evil?” As long, then, as anyone is evil, he cannot bear good fruit; for if he bears good fruit, he will no longer be evil. So it could most truly be said, “There cannot be hot snow”: for when it has begun to be hot, we no longer call it snow but water. So it can happen that what was snow is not snow; but it cannot happen that snow is hot. So it can happen that one who was evil is not evil; yet it cannot happen that an evil man does good. And even if he is sometimes useful, he does not do this himself, but it comes about from him by the arrangement of divine providence, as was said of the Pharisees, “What they say, do; but what they do, do not do.” This very fact, that they said good things, and the things they said were usefully heard and done, was not theirs: “For they sit,” he says, “on the seat of Moses.” By divine providence, then, preaching the law of God, they could be useful to their hearers though not to themselves. Of such it was said in another place through the prophet, “You have sown wheat and will reap thorns”: because they command good things and do evil. Those, then, who heard them and did what was said by them did not gather grapes from thorns, but through thorns gathered grapes from the vine: as if someone puts his hand through a hedge, or at least gathers a grape from a vine that has been entwined with a hedge; that fruit is not the thorns’ but the vine’s.

Most rightly, certainly, it is asked what fruits he wished us to attend to, by which we might know the tree. For many count among the fruits certain things which belong to the sheep’s clothing, and in this way are deceived by wolves: such as fasts, or prayers, or almsgiving; all of which, unless they could also be done by hypocrites, he would not have said above, “Beware of doing your righteousness before men in order to be seen by them.” With this saying set first, he follows out these three: almsgiving, prayer, fasting. For many bestow much on the poor not out of mercy but out of ambition; and many pray, or rather seem to pray, not looking to God but desiring to please men; and many fast and display wonderful abstinence to those to whom these things seem difficult and are thought worthy of honour; and by deceits of this kind they capture them, while they display one thing to deceive and put forth another to plunder or kill those who cannot see the wolves under this sheep’s clothing. These, then, are not the fruits by which he warns that the tree is known. For when these are done with a good mind in truth, they are the proper clothing of the sheep; but when with a bad mind in error, they cover nothing other than wolves. But the sheep ought not to hate their clothing on that account, because wolves often hide themselves in it.

What, then, the fruits are by which, when they are found, we may know a bad tree, the Apostle says: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are acts of sexual immorality, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, sorceries, enmities, strife, jealousies, animosities, dissensions, heresies, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, as I forewarned you before, that those who do such things will not possess the kingdom of God.” And what the fruits are by which we may know a good tree, the same goes on to say: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, continence.” It must certainly be known that “joy” is used here in its proper sense; for evil men are properly said not to rejoice but to exult wildly; just as we said above that “will,” which evil men do not have, was used in its proper sense, where it was said, “All things, therefore, whatever you wish that men should do to you, do so to them as well.” By this propriety of the word, by which joy is not spoken of except in the good, the prophet also speaks, saying, “There is no rejoicing for the ungodly, says the Lord.” So too faith is set down, not just any faith, but true faith; and the other things that are set down here have certain images of themselves in evil men and deceivers, so as to deceive completely, unless someone already has a pure and single eye by which to recognize these things. In the best order, therefore, the cleansing of the eye was treated first, and then the things to be guarded against were spoken of.