Homilies on Hebrews 18

Having said above that 'sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin Thou didst not desire, neither hadst pleasure therein,' which are offered according to the Law;

'Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God.'

He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.

By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

'And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;'

'but this Man, having offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God, henceforth waiting till His enemies be made the footstool of His feet.'

In what preceded, he showed that the sacrifices were unprofitable for perfect purification, that they were a type, and that they fell far short.

Since then this objection was raised against him—if they are types, how is it that, when the truth had come, they did not cease nor give way, but are still being performed?—he works out precisely this very point here, showing that they are no longer being performed;

nor even as a type; for God does not accept them.

And this he shows once more, not from the New Testament, but from the prophets, bringing forward from of old the strongest testimony, that they come to an end and cease, and that men do all this to no purpose, ever resisting the Holy Spirit.

And he shows abundantly that they had ceased not merely now, but even at the very coming of Christ—or rather, even before His coming—and how Christ did not abolish them last of all, but they were abolished first, and then He came;

they were first brought to an end, and then He Himself came.

For lest they should say, 'Even apart from this sacrifice we were able to please God,' He waited for these to be convicted through those very things, and then He Himself came.

'For sacrifice and offering,' he says, 'You did not desire.'

And having spoken generally, he speaks also particularly:

'In whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin You took no pleasure.'

Now the 'offering' was everything apart from the sacrifice.

Concerning whom was this said? Concerning none other than Christ.

Here he brings no charge against those who offered, showing that it is not on account of their wickedness that He does not accept them, as he says elsewhere;

but because the matter had at length been proven and made manifest to have no strength, nor any fitting occasion.

What then has this to do with the sacrifices being offered repeatedly? 'It is not from their being offered repeatedly alone,' he says, 'that it is plain they are weak and accomplished nothing, but also from the fact that God does not accept them, as being useless and unprofitable.'

Showing this very thing, he says also in another place, 'If You had desired sacrifice, I would have given it.'

So then, by this also he makes plain that He does not desire it.

So then, the sacrifices are not the will of

God, but rather the doing away with the sacrifices.

Therefore they sacrifice contrary to His will.

What is the meaning of 'To do Your will'? 'To give Myself up,' he says.

'By which will we have been sanctified.'

Further, by this he shows also in another way that it is not the sacrifices that cleanse men, but the will of God.

So then, to sacrifice is not the will of God.

And why do you marvel if now it is not the will of God, when even from the beginning it was not His will? 'For who has required these things at your hands?' he says. How then did He Himself command it? By way of condescension;

just as Paul too is seen to say:

'I wish that all men were even as I myself in self-control;'

and again, exhorting in another place, he says:

'I desire that the younger women marry, bear children.'

He sets down two wills, but the two are not both his own, even though he enjoins them;

rather, the one is his own, wherefore he sets it down without a reason;

but the other is not his own, even though he wishes it, wherefore it is added along with a reason.

For having first accused them, that they had grown wanton against Christ, he then says:

'I desire that the younger women marry, bear children.'

So indeed here also he orders things by way of condescension;

it was not His will, as a primary purpose, that the sacrifices should take place.

So too when speaking concerning death:

'I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he should turn and live.'

And in another place he says that He not only willed, but even earnestly desired this;

and yet these things seem contrary to one another;

for 'willing' is desire intensified.

How then, though not willing, do you elsewhere desire it—which is a sign of willing exceedingly? This same thing may be said here also.

'By which will we have been sanctified,' he says.

And in what way we are sanctified, he himself will explain, adding:

'Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.'

'And every priest stands daily ministering, and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices.'

So then, to stand is a sign of ministering;

therefore to be seated is a sign of being ministered unto.

'But this One, having offered a single sacrifice for sins, sat down forever at the right hand of God, henceforth waiting until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.'

'For by a single offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.'

'And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us.'

He said that those sacrifices are not offered;

he reasoned it out from the written and from the unwritten;

and besides, he set forth also an express prophetic saying, that 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire.'

He said that He forgave the sins.

This too he again confirms from written testimony;

'For the Holy Spirit,' he says, 'bears witness to us.'

For after saying, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their hearts, and upon their minds I will inscribe them, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'

'Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.'

So then, He forgave the sins when He gave the covenant;

and the covenant He gave through the sacrifice.

If then He forgave the sins through the one sacrifice, there is no longer need of a second.

'He sat down at the right hand of God, henceforth waiting.'

And for what reason the delay? 'That His enemies be placed under His feet.'

'For by a single offering,' he says, 'He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.'

And for what reason did He not place them immediately? For the sake of the faithful who are yet to be brought forth and born.

Whence then is it plain that they will be placed there? From His saying that 'He sat down.'

He again called to mind that testimony which says:

'Until He make His enemies a footstool under His feet.'

And His enemies are the Jews.

Then, since he had said, 'Until his enemies be made his footstool,' and they were pressing on with great urgency,

for this reason he sets down after these words all that he discourses concerning faith.

But who are the enemies, if not all the unbelievers, and the demons? For surely it is not the Jews only. And hinting at the fullness of the subjection, he did not say, 'Let them be subjected,' but, 'Let them be made a footstool under his feet.'

Let us not, then, become of the number of the enemies;

for those enemies are not only the unbelievers and the Jews, but also these who are full of an unclean life.

For the mind of the flesh is enmity against God;

for it is not subject to the law of God.

What then? one says: is this not a charge to be answered for? Indeed, it is very much a charge to be answered for;

for the wicked man, so long as he remains wicked, cannot be subject;

yet he is able to change and to become good.

Let us therefore cast out the mindings of the flesh.

And what sort of things are those of the flesh? Whatever makes the body flourish and enjoy pleasure, but harms the soul;

wealth, luxury, glory;

all these are of the flesh.

Let us then not be enamoured of abundance, but let us ever pursue poverty;

'But,' one says, 'it makes a man lowly and of no account.'

for this contributes much to us.

'Poverty,' it says, 'humbles a man;'

'Blessed are the poor in spirit.'

Is it for this reason then that you grieve, because you have a road that leads you by the hand toward virtue? Do you not know that this gives us much boldness? 'But,' one says, 'the wisdom of the poor man is despised;'

and again another says:

'Give me neither riches nor poverty;'

'Deliver me from the furnace of poverty.'

But again, how is it, if riches and poverty are from the Lord, that poverty—or riches—should be an evil? For what reason then were these things said? These were spoken under the Old Covenant, where much was made of wealth, where there was great contempt for poverty, where the one was a curse and the other a blessing.

But do you wish to hear the praises of poverty? Christ himself embraced it, and says:

'But the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'

And again he said to the disciples:

'Do not acquire gold, nor silver, nor two tunics.'

And Paul, writing, said:

'As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.'

And Peter said to the man lame from birth:

'Silver and gold I do not have.'

And even in the Old Covenant itself, where wealth was admired, who, tell me, were the ones held in admiration? Was it not Elijah, who had nothing except his sheepskin mantle? Was it not Elisha, was it not John? Let no one, therefore, be cast down because of poverty;

it is not poverty that makes a man lowly, but wealth, which compels him to stand in need of many things, and forces him to be beholden with thanks to many.

For tell me, what was poorer than Jacob, who said:

'If the Lord will give me bread to eat, and a garment to put on'? Now, were those about Elijah and John devoid of boldness? Did not the one reprove Ahab, and the other Herod? The latter said:

'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother Philip;'

and Elijah said to Ahab with boldness:

'It is not I who trouble Israel, but you and your father's house.'

Do you see that poverty rather produces this boldness? For the rich man is a slave, being liable to loss, and affording to everyone who wishes it the means of doing him harm;

but he who has nothing fears neither confiscation nor condemnation.

If, then, poverty made men devoid of boldness, Christ would not have sent his disciples in poverty into a work that required much boldness.

For the poor man is exceedingly strong, and there is no place from which he may be wronged or suffer ill.

The rich man, however, is on every side easy to overpower;

and the same thing happens as when one might easily catch a man who is trailing many long ropes behind him, but could not readily seize hold of a man who is naked.

So it is here too in the case of the rich man;

slaves, gold, fields, ten thousand affairs, ten thousand cares, circumstances, necessities make him easy for all to overpower.

Let no one, then, any longer consider poverty to be a cause of dishonour.

For if virtue be present, all the wealth of the world is not even so much as mire, nor a straw, in comparison with it.

Let us, then, pursue this, if we would enter into the kingdom of heaven.

For 'sell,' he says, 'your possessions, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven;'

'It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.'

Do you see that even when it is not present, poverty must be drawn to oneself? So great a good is poverty;

for it is a kind of guiding hand upon the road that leads to heaven, an athlete's anointing oil, a great and marvellous training, a calm and sheltered harbour.

'But I have need of many things,' one says, 'and I do not wish to receive a favour from anyone;'

but even in this the rich man is worse off than you.

while he shamelessly begs on behalf of ten thousand matters, on behalf of covetousness.

So that it is the rich who are the ones in need of many things.

Why do I say of many things? And often of persons unworthy of themselves;

they often come to stand in need of the soldiers in the ranks and of slaves.

But the poor man has need not even of the emperor himself, and if he should have need, he is admired for having brought himself to this, when it was in his power to be rich;

let no one, then, blame poverty as being the cause of ten thousand evils, nor speak against Christ, who declared this to be the perfection of virtue, saying:

'If you would be perfect;'

for this he himself both said by his words, and showed by his deeds, and taught through his disciples.

for this is a very great good to those who are watchful.

Perhaps some of the hearers even take it as an ill omen.

This disease is widespread among the greater part of mankind, and so great is the tyranny of riches, that they cannot endure even to the point of words to decline it, but even regard this as an ill omen.

Far be these things from the soul of the Christian;

for nothing is richer than the man who chooses poverty willingly and with eagerness.

and, if you please, I declare the man who willingly chooses poverty to be richer even than the emperor himself.

For that man stands in need of many things, and is full of anxiety, and dreads lest his supply of soldier's rations should fail him;

but this other man has all things in abundance, and dreads nothing; and if he does dread, it is not for such great matters.

Who then, tell me, is the rich man — he who day by day is exacting payment, and is eager to gather much, and dreads lest at some time his store should fail;

or he who gathers nothing, yet is in great abundance and needs nothing? For it is virtue and the fear of God that give confidence, not riches;

for these rather bring men into bondage.

For, it says, 'Bribes and gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and like a muzzle in the mouth they turn aside reproofs.'

Consider how that poor man Peter chastised Ananias the rich.

Was not the one rich and the other poor? Yet behold, this one speaking with authority and saying, 'Tell me, did you sell the land for so much?' while the other answered with hesitation, 'Yes, for so much.'

And who will grant me, one says, to be like Peter? It is possible for you to be like Peter, if you are willing to cast away what you have;

scatter abroad, give to the poor, follow Christ, and you shall be such a one.

How so? one says: he wrought signs.

Was this then, tell me, what made Peter admirable, or the confidence that came from his manner of life? Do you not hear Christ saying,

'Do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you'?

'If you would be perfect, sell what you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven.'

Hear too what Peter says:

'Silver and gold have I none;'

'but what I have, that I give you.'

If anyone has silver and gold, he does not have those other things.

Why then, one says, do many have neither those things nor these? Because they are not poor of their own will;

since those who are poor by their own choice possess all good things.

For even if they do not raise the dead nor make the lame to walk, yet — what is greater than all — they have confidence toward God;

in that day they shall hear that blessed voice which says,

'Come, you blessed of my Father.'

What is better than this? 'Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'

'For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat;'

'I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink;'

'I was a stranger, and you took me in;'

'I was naked, and you clothed me;'

'I was sick, and in prison, and you visited me.'

'Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'

Let us therefore flee covetousness, that we may attain the kingdom of heaven;

let us feed the poor, that we may feed Christ, that we may become fellow-heirs with Him, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, and honour, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.