Evening Collation

Behold, your king comes, etc. It was said that in these words we could see the coming shown when it says: behold; second, the condition of the one coming, at: your king; third, the usefulness of the coming, at: comes to you; and fourth, the manner of the coming, at: meek. It was also said that through ‘behold’ we normally understand four things: first, making a thing certain; second, the determination of a time; third, the manifestation of a thing; and fourth, comfort.

Now, we said about the condition of the one coming (which is noted when it says your king) that a person’s coming requires that he be expected or announced with solemnity because of his greatness (if he is a king or a legate), or because of a person’s friendship and affinity: and these were in he who came.

We then must consider that he himself is the king of all creation. Hence Judith 9:17 says: Creator of the waters and king of all creation. But he is specifically called your king, namely, of man, because of four things:

first, because of the likeness of his image;

second, because of special love;

third, because of special care and solicitude;

and fourth, because of the society of human nature.

First, I say that Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because of the likeness of his image. You know that things are especially said to pertain to a king which bear his insignia, like his image; and while every creature is God’s, yet there is a special way in which a creature is God’s that bears his image: and this is man. Thus Genesis says: let us make man toward our image and likeness (Gen 1:26). In what does this likeness consist? I say that it is not according to a bodily likeness, but according to the intelligible light of the mind. Now, the fount of intelligible light is in God, and we have a sign of this light. Thus Psalm 4:7 says: the light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us.

Man has a seal of this light: thus this image is created in man; but it is blackened and obscured through sin. Psalm 71(72):20: you will bring their image to nothing. Because of this, God sent his Son to reform that image which was deformed through sin. Therefore, let us strive to be reformed, following the Apostle who says: putting off the old man, and put on the new man, who is created after the likeness of God, and who is renewed in the image of he who created him (Eph 4:24). And how are we renewed? Surely insofar as we imitate Christ. For that same image which is deformed in us is perfect in Christ. Therefore we ought to bear the image of Christ. Hence the Apostle says to the Corinthians: as we have borne the image of the earthly, thus let us bear also the image of the heavenly (1 Cor 15:49); and in today’s epistle: let us put on Christ (Rom 13:14), that is, let us imitate Christ. The perfection of the Christian life consists in this.

Second, Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because of special love. It is the custom in groups of clerics that when a bishop loves certain ones in a more special way than others, that he is called their bishop. God loves all that there is, but he loves men in a special way. Thus Isaiah says: where is your zeal, and your strength, the multitude of your bowels over me? (Is 63:15) Observe that God specially loves human nature. For we find diverse levels of nature, but we do not find that God lifts up a lower level of nature to a higher level of nature, such as the level of a star to the level of the sun, or the level of the inferior angels to the level of the higher angels. But God raised man to the level of and equality with the angels. Hence in Luke: the sons of the Resurrection, the saints, will be equal with the angels (Luke 20:36). Thus God especially loves men. Therefore, we ought not to be ungrateful for such great love, but we ought to wholly transfer our love to him. If the king should love some poor man, that poor man would consider himself wretched if he should not repay the king his love as much as he could. Out of immense love, God said to man: my delights are to be with the sons of men (Pro 8:31). Therefore, we ought to return him this love.

Third, Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because of his singular care and solicitude. It is true that God has care of all things; thus Wisdom 12:13 says, the care of all things is his. There is no thing so small as to be taken away from divine providence: for as a thing is from God, so is its order from God, and providence is the same as that order. Yet men are under divine providence in a special way. Thus the Psalmist says: men and beasts you will preserve, O Lord, namely, by bodily health, but the children of men will hope in the covert of your wings (Ps 35 [36]:7-8). And how do they hope? I say that not only spiritual goods, but also eternal ones are prepared by God for those he leads to eternal life, and in regard to this God’s care is not for others. Thus the Apostle says: God’s care is not for oxen (1 Cor 9:9). God does not allow the act of man to be untried. Thus Wisdom 12:18 says: but you, the master, judge sin with great tranquillity.

Fourth, Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because of the society of human nature. Thus Deuteronomy 17:15 says: you may not make a man of another nation king who is not your brother. In this is a prophecy about Christ. The Lord was ordaining that he should establish the king for men; he did not want that he should be of another nation, that is, of a different nature, who would not be our brother. Thus the Apostle says of Christ: never does he take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham (Heb 2:16), in which it appears that man has a privilege over the angels. Christ is the king of angels, and is a man, not an angel. The angels also serve man. Thus the Apostle says: all are ministering spirits (Heb 1:14). Now it was necessary that Christ be man for this, that he might save, for the Apostle says to the Hebrews: he who sanctifies and he who is sanctified are one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: "I will declare my name to my brethren" (Heb 2:11-12). (Conjecturally emending a scribal error: "qui enim sanctificat et qui sanctificantur ex uno omnes propter quam causam non confunditur fratres eos vocare dicens: nuntiabo nomen tuum fratribus meis" (Vulgate, Hebrews 1:11-12).) Now the demonstration of the coming and the condition of the one coming are clear.

Next, we should consider the usefulness of the coming, which is noted when he says: comes to you, namely, not compelled by his own usefulness, but by ours. Now, he came because of four things:

First, he came to make manifest the divine majesty;

second, to reconcile us to God;

third, to free us from sin;

and fourth, to give us eternal life.

First, I say that Christ came to manifest to us the divine majesty. Man had ardently desired to have knowledge of the truth, and the truth principally to be considered is about God. But men were in such ignorance that they did not know what God is. Some were saying that he was a body, others said that he did not have care for individuals: and hence the Son of God came to teach us the truth. Thus he says: for this was I born, and for this came I into the world: that I should give testimony to the truth (John 18:37). And in John: no one has seen God (John 1:18), and because of this the Son of God came so that you might know the truth. Our parents were in such great error that they did not know the divine truth. But we, through the coming of the Son of God, are brought back to the truth of faith.

Second, Christ came to reconcile us to God. You were able to say: God was my enemy because of sin; therefore it was better for me to not know than to know him. Because of this, Christ came not only to manifest the divine majesty to us, but to reconcile us to God. Thus the Apostle says to the Ephesians: and coming, he will preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near (Eph 2:17). And elsewhere the Apostle says: we were reconciled to God through the death of his son (Rom 5:10); and because of this at the birth of Christ the angels sang: glory to God in the highest (Luke 2:14); and after the Resurrection the Lord brought peace to his disciples, saying: peace to you (John 20:21).

Third, he came to free us from the slavery of sin. Thus the Apostle says: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He who commits sin is the slave of sin (John 8:34); therefore, he must be freed. It is said: if the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36). And: the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

Fourth, Christ came to give us the life of grace in the present and the life of glory in the future. Thus John 10:10 says: I came that you might have life, namely, the life of grace in the present, and since the just man lives from faith (Gal 3:11); and have it in abundance, that is, the life of glory in the future through charity. Thus John says: we know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren (1 John 3:14): and let us live through good works. Again in John: this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).

But how did he come? I say that he comes meek. This is important. Thus in Proverbs: as the roaring of a lion, so also is the anger of a king: and his cheerfulness as the dew upon the grass (Pro 19:12). Meekness is mitigated wrath. Now God comes with meekness, but in the future he will come with wrath. Thus Isaiah says: behold, the name of the Lord shall come from afar; his wrath like burning fire (Isa 30:27). And Job: he does not now bring on his fury, neither does he revenge wickedness exceedingly (Job 35:15). For now Christ comes with meekness, and we ought to receive him with meekness. Thus blessed James says: with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls (Jam 1:21).

Notice that we can consider Christ’s meekness in four things:

first, in his way of life;

second, in his correction;

third, in his gracious reception of men;

and fourth, in his Passion.

First, I say we can see the meekness of Christ in his way of life, for his entire life was peaceful. He did not seek matters of dispute, but wholly avoided everything which could lead him to quarrel. Thus he said: learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart (Matt 11:29). And we ought to imitate him in this. Christ ascending to Jerusalem sat upon a donkey, which is a meek animal (not on a horse), and which was a son of one under the yoke (Matt 21:5). Therefore we ought to be meek. Hence Sirach says: my son, do your works in meekness, and you shall be beloved above the glory of men (Sir 3:19). (Conjecturally emending a scribal error: "Fili in mansuetudine opera tua perfice et super hominum gloriam diligeris" (Vulgate, Sirach 3:19).)

Moreover, the meekness of Christ appears in his correction. He bore many taunts from his persecutors, yet nevertheless he did not respond to them with wrath or strife. About this, Psalm 44:5 says: because of truth and meekness, etc. In expounding this, Augustine says that when Christ spoke, he acknowledged the truth; when he patiently answered his enemies, his meekness was praised. (St. Augustine, In Iohannis evangelium tractatus (CPL 0278), tract. 33, par. 4, ln. 20: "cum loqueretur, veritas agnoscebatur, cum adversus inimicos non moveretur, mansuetudo laudabatur.") As the Psalmist says: meekness is come upon us, and we shall be corrected (Ps 89 [90]:10). And Isaiah: he neither contended nor cried out (Isa 42:2).

Third, the meekness of Christ appears in his gracious reception of men. Some men do not know to receive others with meekness. But Christ kindly received sinners, and even ate with them and admitted them to his banquet, or went to their banquets: thus the Pharisees were amazed, saying: why does your master eat with publicans? (Matt 9:11) Therefore, he was meek. Hence it can be said about the Church in 2 Samuel 22:36: your meekness multiplied me. Therefore, those who rule over others ought to be meek.

Fourth, the meekness of Christ is apparent in his Passion, because he went like a lamb to the slaughter (Acts 8:32), and when he was cursed, he did not curse (1 Pet 2:23); nevertheless, he could have handed over everyone to death. Hence he says in Jeremiah: I am like a lamb that is carried to the sacrifice (Jer 11:19).

Saint Andrew imitated his meekness well, for when he was placed on the cross and the people wished him to come down from the cross, urged and begged by prayers that they should not take him down from the cross, but that they themselves might follow him through the passion. Thus it is fulfilled in him: this man appears the most meek among the people (Num 12:3). The meek will inherit the blessed land. Thus in Matthew: blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land (Matt 5:4); which may he deign to grant us, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, etc.