Homily 1 — Hebrews 1, verses 1 and 2

“God, who at many times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has at the end of the days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.” [a]

Truly, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5, verse 20). This, at least, is what the blessed Paul hints at here as well, at the very beginning of his letter to the Hebrews. They were in distress, worn out by troubles, and judging their whole situation by these, so it was likely they would think themselves worse off than everyone else. So he shows that in this very matter they had in fact been given a share in a greater grace, a grace far beyond the rest; and so he rouses the hearer at the very opening of what he has to say. That is why he says, “God, who at many times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has at the end of the days spoken to us by his Son.”

Why did Paul not set himself against the prophets? He was certainly much greater than they were, since a greater trust had been placed in his hands. Yet he does not do it. Why? First, to avoid saying great things about himself. Second, because his hearers were not yet mature. And third, because he wanted rather to lift them up, and to show how great their advantage was. It is as if he had said: “What great thing is it that he sent prophets to our fathers? To us he has sent his own only Son himself.”

And he did well to begin this way, with “at many times and in various ways,” for he is pointing out that not even the prophets themselves saw God; but the Son saw him. The words “at many times and in various ways” mean the same as “in different ways.” For God says, “I have multiplied visions, and used likenesses through the ministry of the prophets” (Hosea 12, verse 10). So the advantage lies not only in this, that prophets were sent to them but the Son to us, but in this too: that none of them saw God, while the only Son saw him. He does not say this outright at once, but he establishes it by what he says afterward, when he speaks about his human nature: “For to which of the angels did he say, ‘You are my Son’?” (verse 5), and, “Sit at my right hand” (verse 13).

And look at his great wisdom. First he shows our advantage over the prophets. Then, having established this as agreed, he declares that to them God spoke by the prophets, but to us by the only Son. Then he shows that God spoke to them by angels — and he establishes this too, with good reason, for angels also held conversation with the Jews. Yet even here we have the advantage, since the Master spoke to us, while to them it was servants who spoke, and prophets, who were fellow servants.

He also did well to say “at the end of the days,” for by this he both stirs them up and encourages them, since they had lost heart about the future. As he says in another place too, “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4, verses 5 and 6), and again, “For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13, verse 11), so also here. What is it, then, that he is saying? That whoever is worn out in the contest recovers his breath a little when he hears of its end, knowing that it is the end of his labors and the beginning of his rest. [d]

“He has at the end of the days spoken to us in his Son.” Look, once again he uses the phrase “in his Son” to mean “through the Son,” against those who claim that this phrase belongs properly to the Spirit. Do you see that the word “in” means “through”?

And the phrases “in time past” and “at the end of the days” hint at another meaning as well: that when a long time had gone by, when we were on the edge of punishment, when the gifts had failed, when there was no hope of rescue, when we were expecting to have less than everyone — then we were given more.

And see how considerately he has put it. He did not say, “Christ spoke” — although it was he who spoke — but, since their souls were weak and they were not yet able to hear the things about Christ, he says, “God has spoken by him.” What do you mean? Did God speak through the Son? “Yes.” What then? Is this how you show the advantage? Here you have only pointed out that both the New and the Old Covenants come from one and the same God, and that this advantage is not great. That is why from here on he follows up this argument, saying, “He spoke to us by his Son.”

Notice how Paul makes common cause with the disciples and puts himself on their level, saying that God spoke “to us.” And yet God did not speak to him, but to the apostles, and through them to the many. But he lifts the Hebrews up and declares that God spoke to them as well. And so far he does not find any fault with the Jews at all — for almost all of those to whom the prophets spoke were a wicked and polluted sort of people. But the discussion is not yet about them; up to this point it is about the gifts that come from God.

“Whom he appointed,” he says, “heir of all.” What does “whom he appointed heir of all” mean? He is speaking here of the flesh, that is, of the human nature, as God also says in the second Psalm: “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance” (Psalm 2, verse 8). For no longer is “Jacob the portion of the Lord,” nor “Israel his inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32, verse 9), but all people. That is to say, he has made him Lord of all — which Peter also said in the Acts: “God has made him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2, verse 36). But he has used the name “heir” to declare two things: that he is truly a Son, and that his lordship can never be taken from him. “Heir of all” — that is, of the whole world.

Then he brings his discussion back again to its earlier point: “through whom also he made the worlds” — the ages. Where are those who say, “There was a time when he was not”? [g]

Then, climbing step by step, he spoke words far greater than all of these. Verses 3 and 4: “Who, being the radiance of his glory, and the exact imprint of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

Oh, the wisdom of the apostle! Or rather, it is not Paul’s wisdom we should wonder at, but the grace of the Spirit. For he certainly did not speak these things from his own mind, nor was that how he found his wisdom. Where could he have found it? From the knife, the skins, or the workshop? No, it came from the working of God. His own understanding did not give birth to these thoughts. It was then so poor and slight that it was in no way above the common sort — how could it be, when it spent itself entirely on bargains and skins? But the grace of the Spirit shows its strength through whomever it wills.

Think of someone who wants to lead a little child up to some high place that reaches to the very top of heaven. He does it gently and little by little, leading him upward by the steps from below. Then, when he has set him up high and told him to look down, and sees him turning giddy, confused and dizzy, he takes hold of him and leads him down to the lower landing, letting him catch his breath. Then, when the child has recovered, he leads him up again, and again brings him down. That is just what the blessed Paul did, both with the Hebrews and everywhere else, having learned it from his Teacher. For he too did the same: sometimes he led his hearers up on high, and sometimes he brought them down, not letting them stay up there very long.

See him, then, even here: by how many steps he led them up and set them close to the very summit of religion; and then, before they could grow giddy and be seized with dizziness, how he leads them lower down again and, letting them catch their breath, says, “He spoke to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things.”

For the name “Son” is, so far, one that others share. Where a true Son is meant, he is above all; but however that may be, for the present he is proving that he is from above. And see how he says it: “Whom he appointed,” he says, “heir of all things.” The phrase “he appointed heir” is a lowly one. Then he set them on the higher step, adding, “through whom also he made the worlds.” Then on a higher one still, beyond which there is no other: “who, being the radiance of his glory, and the exact imprint of his person.” He has truly led them to the light no one can approach, to the radiance itself. And before they are blinded, see how gently he leads them down again, saying, “and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty.” He does not simply say, “He sat down,” but “after the purifying, he sat down,” for he has touched on his becoming man, and his language is lowly again.

Then, after saying a little that is high in passing — for he says, “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” — he turns again to what is lowly: “being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” From here on, then, he is dealing with what belongs to him according to the flesh. For the phrase “being made better” does not describe his being according to the Spirit — that was not “made” but “begotten” — but his being according to the flesh, for that was “made.” Even so, the discussion here is not about being brought into existence. Just as John says, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me” (John 1, verses 15 and 30) — that is, higher in honor and esteem — so here too, “being made so much better than the angels” means higher in esteem, better and more glorious, “as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Do you see that he is speaking of what belongs to him according to the flesh? For God the Word always had this name. He did not “obtain it by inheritance” later, nor did he become “better than the angels” later, “when he had purged our sins.” He was always better, and better beyond all comparison. So this is said of him according to the flesh.

This is truly our own way too, when we speak of a human being: we say both high things and low ones. When we say, “Man is nothing,” “Man is earth,” “Man is ashes,” we name the whole by its lesser part. But when we say, “Man is an immortal living being,” and “Man is rational, and akin to those on high,” we name the whole, in turn, by its better part. So too in the case of Christ: sometimes Paul speaks from the lesser, and sometimes from the better, wanting both to establish the plan of salvation and to teach about the nature that cannot decay.

Since, then, “he has purged our sins,” let us remain pure. Let us take on no stain, but keep the beauty he has planted in us, and his loveliness, unspoiled and pure, “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5, verse 27). Even little sins are “a spot and a wrinkle” — such things, I mean, as abuse, insult and lying. [o]

But no — not even these are small. On the contrary, they are very great, so great that they shut a person out even from the kingdom of heaven. How, and in what way? “Whoever calls his brother a fool,” he says, “is in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5, verse 22). But if that is how it is with the one who calls a man a fool, which seems the slightest thing of all, mere children’s talk, what sentence of punishment will the man not bring on himself who calls his brother malicious, and crafty, and envious, and hurls ten thousand other insults at him? What could be more frightening than this?

Now bear with this word of exhortation, I beg you. If whoever “does” something “for one of the least” does it “for him” (Matthew 25, verse 40), and whoever “does not do it for one of the least” does not do it for him (Matthew 25, verse 45), how is it not the same with speaking well or ill of someone? Whoever insults his brother insults God, and whoever honors his brother honors God. So let us train our tongue to speak good words. For it says, “Keep your tongue from evil” (Psalm 34, verse 13). God did not give it to us so that we could speak evil, insult one another and slander one another, but so that we could sing hymns to God with it, and speak the things that “give grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4, verse 29) — things that build up, things that do good.

Have you spoken evil of someone? What have you gained by tangling yourself up in harm along with him? You have earned yourself the name of a slanderer. For there is no evil — none at all — that stops with the one who suffers it; it takes in the one who does it too. The envious man, for instance, seems to be plotting against someone else, but he is the first to reap the fruit of his sin, wasting and wearing himself away, and hated by everyone. The cheat robs another man of his money, yes, but he also robs himself of people’s goodwill, and makes everyone speak badly of him. And a good name is worth far more than money: the one is not easily washed clean once it is stained, while the other is easy to come by. Or rather, lacking money does no harm to the one who lacks it, but lacking a good name makes you scorned and laughed at, and an object of hostility and attack to everyone. The hot-tempered man, again, first punishes himself and tears himself to pieces, and only then the one he is angry with.

In just the same way the man who speaks evil disgraces himself first, and then the one he speaks evil of. Or perhaps even that proves beyond his power: he goes away with the reputation of a foul and hateful person, while he makes the other man loved all the more. For when a man hears himself called bad names and does not pay back the speaker in kind, but praises and admires him, he is not praising the other man so much as himself. As I said a moment ago, just as slander against our neighbors strikes first the ones who plot the harm, so good deeds done to our neighbors gladden first the ones who do them. Whoever gives birth to good or to evil rightly reaps its fruit first himself. Water, whether it is brackish or sweet, fills the jars of those who come to draw it, but does not lessen the spring that sends it out. In the same way, surely, wickedness and virtue alike, from whatever person they come, prove to be either his joy or his ruin.

So much for the things of this world. But what words could tell the things of that world, either the good things or the evil ones? None could. As for the blessings, they are beyond all thought, not just beyond words. Their opposites, it is true, are described in words familiar to us: there is fire there, it says, and darkness, and chains, and a worm that never dies. But these words point not only to the things that are named, but to others more unbearable still.

To convince you, consider this first of all. If it is fire, how is it also darkness? Do you see how that fire is more unbearable than the fire here? It gives no light. If it is fire, how does it burn forever? Do you see how something more unbearable than ours is happening there? It is never put out. That is why it is called unquenchable. Let us think, then, how great a misery it must be to burn forever, and to be in darkness, and to groan without number, and to grind our teeth, and not even to be heard.

Here on earth, if anyone who was raised as a gentleman is thrown into prison, he says that the stench alone, and lying in the dark, and being chained with murderers, is more unbearable than any death. Think what it will be when we are burning alongside the murderers of the whole world, neither seeing nor being seen, but thinking, in so vast a crowd, that we are alone. For the darkness and gloom will not let us make out those who are near us, and each person will burn as though he were suffering this alone. And if darkness by itself distresses and terrifies our souls, what will it be like when, together with the darkness, there are such great pains and burnings as well?

That is why I beg you to be always turning these things over in your minds, and to bear the pain of the words, so that we may not suffer the punishment of the things themselves. For all these things will certainly come to pass, and those whose deeds have earned those chambers of torture no one will rescue — not father, not mother, not brother. “A brother does not redeem,” he says; “will a man redeem?” (Psalm 49, verse 7) — even if he has great boldness, even if he has great influence with God. For it is God himself who repays each one according to his works, and on these our salvation or our punishment depends.

So let us make for ourselves “friends of the mammon of unrighteousness” (Luke 16, verse 9). That is, let us give alms; let us use up our possessions on the poor, so that we may use up that fire — so that we may put it out, and have boldness there. For there too it is not they who receive us, but our own work. That it is not simply their being our friends that can save us, learn from what he adds. Why did he not say, “Make friends for yourselves, so that they may receive you into their eternal dwellings,” but also added the means? By saying “of the mammon of unrighteousness,” he shows that we must make friends of them with our possessions. He shows that mere friendship will not protect us unless we have good works, unless we spend rightly the wealth that was wrongly gathered.

And this message of ours — about almsgiving, I mean — fits not only the rich but the needy as well. Yes, even if there is someone who supports himself by begging, this word is for him too. For no one is so poverty-stricken, however desperately poor he may be, that he cannot provide “two small coins” (Luke 21, verse 2). So it is possible for someone who gives a small sum out of small means to surpass those who have large possessions and give more, as that widow did. For the size of an act of almsgiving is measured not by the amount given, but by the means and the willingness of the givers. In every case what is needed is the will; in every case, a right disposition; in every case, love toward God. If we do everything with this, then even if we have little and give little, God will not turn his face away, but will receive it as something great and admirable. For he looks at the will, not the gifts. And if he sees that the will is great, he passes his decree and his judgment accordingly, and gives them a share in his eternal blessings.

May God grant that we all obtain these, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power and honor, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.