Homily 11 — John 1, verse 14

“And the Word was made flesh, and lived among us.” [a]

Before I touch on the words of the Gospel, I want to ask one favor of you all. Do not refuse my request. I am asking nothing heavy or burdensome, and if you grant it, it will be useful not only to me who receive it but also to you who grant it — and perhaps far more to you. What is it, then, that I ask of you? That each of you take in hand the section of the Gospels that is going to be read among you on the first day of the week, or even on the Sabbath. Before the day comes, sit down at home and read it through. Think over its contents often and carefully, and examine all its parts well: what is clear, what is obscure, what seems to support our opponents but does not really. And when you have tested every point, in a word, then go and hear it read.

Zeal like this will bring no small gain, both to you and to us. We will not need much labor to make the meaning of the words clear, because your minds will already be familiar with their sense. And you will become keener and more clear-sighted, not only for hearing and learning, but also for teaching others. As things are now, most of those who come here are forced to take in the meaning of everything at once — both the words and the remarks we make on them — and so, even if we went on doing this for a whole year, they would reap no great gain. How could they, when they give their attention to what is said only as a side task, and only in this place, and only for this short time?

Some lay the blame on business, and worries, and constant occupation with public and private affairs. In the first place, this is no slight charge in itself: that they are surrounded by so much business, so continually nailed to the things of this life, that they cannot find even a little leisure for what is more necessary than anything else. Besides, their own meetings with friends would prove that this is a mere pretext and excuse; so would their loitering in the theaters, and the parties they make up to go and watch the horse races, where they often spend whole days — and never in that case does one of them complain about the pressure of business. So for trifles you can always find plenty of leisure, without making any excuses. But when you ought to attend to the things of God, do they seem to you so utterly unnecessary and so cheap that you think you need not set aside even a little time for them? How do people with such an attitude deserve to breathe, or to look on this sun?

These idle people have another excuse, a most foolish one: that they do not own the books. Now as for the rich, it would be ridiculous for us even to take aim at this excuse. But because I imagine that many of the poorer sort use it constantly, I would gladly ask them this: does not each of them keep all the tools of the trade he works at, full and complete, even when the direst poverty stands in his way? Is it not strange, then, that in that case they throw no blame on poverty, but use every means to make sure nothing stands in the way from any side — while here, when we could gain so great an advantage, we lament our lack of leisure and our poverty?

Besides, even if some should be that poor, it is in their power, through the continual reading of the holy Scriptures that takes place here, to be ignorant of nothing they contain. Or if this seems impossible to you, it seems so with reason. Many do not come here with burning zeal to listen to what is said, but once they have done this one thing for form’s sake, to please us, they go straight back home. And if some do stay, they are no better disposed than those who have left, since they are here with us only in body. But so that we do not overload you with accusations and spend all our time finding fault, let us go on to the words of the Gospel, for it is time to turn the rest of our sermon to what is set before us. So rouse yourselves, and let nothing of what is said escape you.

“And the Word was made flesh,” he says, “and lived among us.”

John has declared that those who received him were “born of God” and had become “sons of God.” Now he adds the cause and the reason for this honor beyond words: that “the Word became flesh,” that the Master took on himself the form of a servant. He who was God’s own Son became Son of man, so that he might make the sons of men children of God. When what is high keeps company with what is low, it does not harm its own honor at all, while it raises the other up from its great lowliness. So it was with the Lord. By this stooping down to meet us he did not diminish his own nature in any way, but raised us, who had always sat in disgrace and darkness, to glory beyond words.

In the same way, perhaps, a king who talks with interest and kindness with a poor and lowly man does not shame himself at all, yet makes the other man noticed by everyone and famous. Now if, where human dignity is only something added from outside, keeping company with a humbler person does no harm at all to the more honored one, much less can it do so in the case of that simple and blessed being, which has nothing added from outside, nothing that grows or decays, but has all good things unmovable and fixed forever. So when you hear that “the Word became flesh,” do not be disturbed or downcast. That being did not change into flesh — it is impious even to imagine this — but, remaining what it is, it took on itself the form of a servant in this way.

Why, then, does he use the expression “was made”? To stop the mouths of the heretics. There are some who say that everything in the plan of salvation was an appearance, a piece of play-acting, an allegory. So, to remove their blasphemy in advance, he has put “was made,” wanting to show by it not a change of substance — away with the thought! — but his taking on real flesh. [d]

Take Paul, when he says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” He does not mean that Christ’s essence moved away from its own glory and took on the being of an accursed thing. Not even demons could imagine that, nor the very foolish, nor those robbed of their natural understanding — such impiety, and such madness, does it contain. Paul does not say this. He means that Christ took on himself the curse pronounced against us, and so leaves us no longer under the curse. In the same way John says here that he “was made flesh,” not by changing his essence into flesh, but by taking flesh to himself, while his essence remained untouched.

If they say that since he is God he is all-powerful, and so could lower himself into the substance of flesh, we will answer them that he is all-powerful as long as he continues to be God. But if he admits change — and change for the worse — how could he be God? Change is far from that simple nature. That is why the prophet says, “They will all grow old like a garment, and like a cloak you will roll them up, and they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not fail” (Psalm 102, verse 27, as the Greek Old Testament reads it). That being is above all change. There is nothing better than he, toward which he might advance and arrive. Better, do I say? No — there is nothing equal to him, nothing that comes even the least bit near him. It follows, then, that if he changes, he must undergo a change for the worse, and that would not be God. But let the blasphemy come back on the heads of those who speak it.

To show that he uses the expression “was made” only so that you would not suppose a mere appearance, hear from what follows how he clears up the argument and overthrows that wicked suggestion. What does he add? “And lived among us.” He all but says: “Do not imagine anything improper from the words ‘was made.’ I did not speak of any change of that unchangeable nature, but of its dwelling and inhabiting. What lives in something cannot be the same as the thing it lives in; it must be different. One thing lives in another thing; otherwise it would not be living in it, for nothing can dwell in itself. I mean different in essence. For by a union and joining together, God the Word and the flesh are one — not by any confusion or blotting out of their substances, but by a union beyond words and beyond understanding. Do not ask how. It came about in the way he knows.”

What, then, was the tent in which he lived? Hear the prophet say, “I will raise up the tent of David that has fallen” (Amos 9, verse 11). It had indeed fallen. Our nature had fallen a fall past curing, and nothing but that mighty hand could help it. There was no possibility of raising it again unless he who fashioned it at first had stretched out his hand to it and stamped it anew with his image, by the new birth of water and the Spirit.

And notice, I beg you, how awe-inspiring and beyond words this mystery is. He lives in this tent forever. He clothed himself with our flesh not to leave it again, but to have it with him always. If that were not so, he would not have counted it worthy of the royal throne, nor would he, while wearing it, be worshiped by the whole host of heaven — angels, archangels, thrones, rulers, dominions, powers. What word, what thought, can portray such great honor done to our race, so truly marvelous and awe-inspiring? What angel, what archangel could? Not one, anywhere, whether in heaven or on earth. For such are the mighty works of God, so great and marvelous are his benefits, that to describe them rightly is beyond not only the human tongue but even the power of angels.

So we will close our sermon for now and be silent, leaving you only this charge: that you repay this great Benefactor of ours with a return that will bring all the profit back around to us again. The return is this: that we look with all care to the state of our souls. For this too is the work of his love for humankind — that he, who needs nothing of ours, says that he is repaid when we take care of our own souls. So it is the height of folly, and deserves ten thousand punishments, if we, when such honor has been lavished on us, will not even contribute what we can — and that when the profit comes back around to us by these very means, and ten thousand blessings are set before us on these terms.

For all these things let us give glory back to our merciful God, not by words only, but much more by deeds, so that we may obtain the good things to come. May we all attain them, through the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.