Homily 19 — Hebrews 10, verses 19 to 25

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the holiest place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” [a]

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the holiest place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us.” He has shown how the high priest differs, and the sacrifices, and the tabernacle, and the covenant, and the promise. He has shown that the difference is great: those are for a time, these are eternal; those are “near to vanishing away,” these are permanent; those were powerless, these are perfect; those were figures, these are the reality. For he says that this priest came “not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life” (Hebrews 7, verse 16), and, “You are a priest forever” (Hebrews 5, verse 6). See how lasting this priest is!

As for the covenant, that one, he says, is old — for “what is decaying and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8, verse 13) — but this one is new. This one brings the forgiveness of sins, while that one brought nothing of the kind, for he says, “The law made nothing perfect” (Hebrews 7, verse 19), and again, “Sacrifice and offering you did not want” (Hebrews 10, verse 5). That one is made with hands; this one is “not made with hands” (Hebrews 9, verse 11). That one has “the blood of goats” (Hebrews 9, verse 12); this one has the blood of the Lord. That one has the priest “standing”; this one has him “sitting.” Since all those things, then, are lesser and these are greater, he says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness.”

“Boldness” — where does it come from? As sins produce shame, he means, so having everything forgiven us, being made fellow heirs, and enjoying so great a love produce boldness. [c]

“To enter the holiest place.” What does he mean here by “entering”? Heaven, and access to spiritual things.

“Which he inaugurated” — that is, which he prepared and which he began. For the first use of a thing is from then on called its inauguration. He means: which he prepared, and by which he himself passed.

“A new and living way.” Here he expresses “the full assurance of hope.” “New,” he says. He is anxious to show that we have everything greater, since now the gates of heaven have been opened, which was not done even for Abraham. “A new and living way,” he says, because the first was a way of death, leading to Hades, but this one is a way of life. And yet he did not say “of life”; he called it “living” — the ordinances, that is — meaning that which lasts.

“Through the veil,” he says, “of his flesh.” For this flesh was the first to cut that way through; by it he inaugurated the way by which he walked. And he had good reason to call the flesh “a veil.” For when it was lifted up on high, then the things in heaven appeared.

“Let us draw near,” he says, “with a true heart.” Draw near to what? To the holy things, the faith, the spiritual service. “With a true heart, in full assurance of faith,” since nothing is seen — not the priest any longer, nor the sacrifice, nor the altar. And yet that priest was not visible either; he stood inside, and they all stood outside, the whole people. But here it is not only that the priest has entered the holy of holies; we enter too. That is why he says, “in full assurance of faith.” For it is possible to believe in a doubting way, as there are many even now who say that there is a resurrection for some and not for others. But this is not faith. “In full assurance of faith,” he says: for we ought to believe as we do about things we see — no, even much more. For here it is possible to be deceived in the things that are seen, but there it is not. Here we trust our senses, but there we trust the Spirit.

“Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.” He shows that not faith alone is required, but a virtuous life as well, and a conscience that knows of nothing evil in us. For the holy of holies does not receive “with full assurance” those who are not of this mind. These things are holy, indeed the holy of holies, and no unholy person enters here. They were sprinkled in the body; we are sprinkled in the conscience, so that even now we may be sprinkled all over with virtue itself. “And having our bodies washed with pure water.” Here he speaks of the washing, which no longer cleanses bodies but the soul.

“For he who promised is faithful.” Promised what? That we are to go there and enter the kingdom. So do not pry with curiosity into anything, and do not demand arguments. What we hold needs faith.

Verses 24 and 25: “And,” he says, “let us consider one another so as to provoke love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” And again in other places: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4, verses 5 and 6); “For now our salvation is nearer” (Romans 13, verse 11); “From now on the time is short” (First Corinthians 7, verse 29). [f]

What is “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”? He knew that great strength comes from being together and gathering together. “For where two or three,” it says, “are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18, verse 20); and again, “That they may be one, as we also are” (John 17, verse 11); and, “They all had one heart and one soul” (Acts 4, verse 32). And not only this, but love too is increased by our gathering together; and when love is increased, the things of God must follow as well. “And earnest prayer,” it says, “was made by the people” (Acts 12, verse 5).

“As is the habit of some.” Here he not only urged them on but also rebuked them.

“And let us consider one another,” he says, “so as to provoke love and good works.” He knew that this too comes from “gathering together.” For as “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27, verse 17), so association increases love. If a stone rubbed against a stone sends out fire, how much more soul mingled with soul! But not to rivalry, he says, but “to the sharpening of love.” What is “to the sharpening of love”? To loving and being loved more. “And good works,” so that they might gain zeal. For if doing has more power to instruct than speaking, you too have many teachers among you, who do this by their deeds.

What is “let us draw near with a true heart”? That is, without hypocrisy. For “woe to a fearful heart and to faint hands” (Sirach 2, verse 12). He means: let there be no falseness among us; let us not say one thing and think another, for that is falseness. And let us not be faint-hearted either, for this is not the mark of “a true heart.” Faint-heartedness comes from not believing. But how will this come about? If we fully assure ourselves through faith.

“Having our hearts sprinkled”: why did he not say “having been purified”? Because he wanted to point out the difference between the sprinklings. The one, he says, is from God; the other is our own. The washing and sprinkling of the conscience is from God; but “drawing near with” truth and “in full assurance of faith” is our own part. Then he also strengthens their faith from the truthfulness of the one who promised.

What is “and having our bodies washed with pure water”? With water that makes pure, or with water that has no blood in it.

Then he adds the perfect thing: love. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,” which some do, he says, and break up the assemblies. For “a brother helped by a brother is like a strong city” (Proverbs 18, verse 19, in the Greek Old Testament).

“But let us consider one another so as to provoke love.” What is “let us consider one another”? For instance, if someone is virtuous, let us imitate him; let us look to him so as to love and be loved. For good works come from love. Gathering together is a great good, since it makes love warmer, and out of love all good things arise. For nothing is good that is not done through love.

This, then, let us “confirm” toward one another. “For love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13, verse 10). We have no need of labors or of sweat if we love one another. It is a road that leads to virtue by itself. On the highway, if a man finds the start of it, he is guided along by it and needs no one to take him by the hand. So it is with love: only take hold of the beginning, and at once you are guided and directed by it. “Love does no harm to its neighbor” (Romans 13, verse 10); it “thinks no evil” (First Corinthians 13, verse 5). [j]

Let each man consider how he is disposed toward himself. He does not envy himself; he wishes himself every good thing; he puts himself before everyone; he is willing to do anything for himself. If, then, we were disposed this way toward others too, every hardship would come to an end. There would be no hostility, no greed — for who would choose to cheat himself? No one. On the contrary, we would hold everything in common, and we would never stop gathering together. And if we did this, there would be no room for remembering wrongs. For who would choose to hold a wrong against himself? Who would choose to be angry with himself? Do we not make allowances for ourselves most of all? If we were disposed this way toward our neighbors too, there would never be any remembering of wrongs.

“And how is it possible that anyone should love his neighbor as himself?” If others had not done it, you might well think it impossible. But if they have done it, it is plain that when we do not do it, it is from laziness.

Besides, Christ commands nothing impossible, since many have even gone beyond his commands. Who has done this? Paul, Peter, the whole company of the saints. In fact, if I say that they loved their neighbors, I say nothing great. They loved their enemies as no one would love those who think as he does. For who would choose, for the sake of those of like mind, to go away into hell when he was about to depart to a kingdom? No one. But Paul chose this for the sake of his enemies, for those who stoned him, those who flogged him. What pardon, then, will there be for us, what excuse, if we do not show toward our friends even the very smallest part of the love Paul showed toward his enemies?

And before him, too, the blessed Moses was willing to be blotted out of God’s book for the sake of his enemies, who had stoned him. David also, when he saw those who had risen up against him slain, says, “I, the shepherd, have sinned; but these, what have they done?” (see Second Samuel 24, verse 17). And when he had Saul in his hands, he would not kill him but saved him, and that when he himself would be in danger. But if these things were done under the old covenant, what excuse will we have, we who live under the new and do not reach even the same measure as they did? For if “unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5, verse 20), how will we enter when we have even less than they?

“Love your enemies,” he says (Matthew 5, verse 44). So love your enemy, for you are doing good not to him but to yourself. How? You are becoming like God. If he is loved by you, he gains nothing much, for he is loved by a fellow slave. But if you love your fellow slave, you have gained much, for you are becoming like God. Do you see that you are doing a kindness not to him but to yourself? For he sets the prize not for him but for you. [m]

“What, then, if he is wicked?” Then the reward is all the greater. You ought even to be grateful to him for his wickedness, even if he stays wicked after receiving ten thousand kindnesses. For if he were not exceedingly wicked, your reward would not have been so exceedingly increased. So the reason you give for not loving him — saying that he is wicked — is the very reason for loving him. Take away the opponent, and you take away the chance of winning the crowns.

Do you not see how athletes train once they have filled their bags with sand? But you have no need to practice this. Life is full of things that train you and make you strong. Do you not see the trees, too — the more they are shaken by the winds, the stronger and firmer they become? So we too, if we are patient, will become strong. For it says, “A man who is patient abounds in wisdom, but he who is small-souled is strongly foolish” (Proverbs 14, verse 29). Do you see how great is his praise of the one, and how great his blame of the other?

“Strongly foolish” means very foolish. So let us not be faint-hearted toward one another, for this does not come from hostility but from having a small soul. If the soul is strong, it will bear everything easily, and nothing will be able to sink it; it will be brought into calm harbors. May we all reach them, by the grace and love for humankind 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.