Homilies on Joshua, Homily 17

As those who receive the law, which is the shadow of that true law, serve the shadow and pattern of heavenly things, so those who divide the land by inheritance in Judea follow the pattern and shadow of the heavenly division. The truth, then, was in heaven, but the shadow and pattern of the truth on earth. And as long as this shadow stood on earth, there was an earthly Jerusalem, there was a temple, there was an altar, there was visible worship, there were high priests and priests; the cities and villages of Judea also stood, and all the things that are now read as described in this book. But when, at the coming of our Savior God, the truth descended from heaven and sprang up from the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven, the shadows and patterns ceased (for Jerusalem fell, the temple fell, the altar was taken away), so that there is no longer a place either on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem where one must worship, but the true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth. So, then, now that the truth is present, type and shadow ceased; and when the temple was present which was built by the Spirit of God and the power of the Most High in the womb of the virgin, the temple built of stones was destroyed. The high priest of the good things to come was present; the high priests of bulls and goats ceased. The Lamb of God came, who takes away the sin of the world; the lamb taken from the flock and slaughtered in vain for so many ages ceased. If, then, all these things that had been given in shadow to those before us ceased when the truth was present and at hand, it followed without doubt that, once the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven had been revealed, the earthly inheritance should cease. And the reason why all these things came to an end is this: that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become subject to God; so that no unbeliever may find grounds for unbelief, and, having the shadows handed down to them from of old, whether of the temple, the altar, the high priests, or the priests, should think that, as long as the state of the ancient worship remained, they would be transgressing the order of religion if they passed over to the faith. That is why divine providence arranged for all these things which had long been foreshadowed on earth to be taken away, so that, when the types ceased, they might in a way receive a road for seeking the truth. If, then, Jew, coming to Jerusalem, the earthly city, you find it overthrown and reduced to ashes and embers, do not weep, as you now do, like children in understanding; do not lament, but instead of the earthly city seek the heavenly. Look up, and there you will find the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the mother of all. If you see the altar abandoned, I do not want you to be saddened. If you do not find a high priest, I do not want you to despair. There is an altar in heaven, and the high priest of the good things to come stands by it, chosen by God according to the order of Melchizedek. So, then, by the kindness and mercy of God the earthly inheritance too has been taken away from you, so that you may seek your inheritance in heaven.

Yet let us see what is described through the shadow, since in the shadow of the law the truth is sketched. A first and a second division of the inheritance is related. The first is described as made through Moses, but the second, which is more powerful, through Jesus. And Moses assigns the possession beyond the Jordan to the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh; but all the rest receive their inheritance through Jesus. We have already spoken of these before: how those who pleased God through the law, preceding in time those who come to the promises through faith in Jesus, have not yet attained what is perfect, waiting for those who come later, at a different time indeed, but who please God by one faith, as the Apostle says, so that they should not attain perfection apart from us. Meanwhile, neither Moses nor Jesus gave an inheritance to the Levites, because the Lord God himself is their inheritance. What else are we to understand by this, if not that there are some in the church of the Lord who surpass all the others in strength of mind and grace of merits, and for whom the Lord himself is said to be the inheritance? And if it is permitted to be bold in such matters and to open something of the hidden secret, let us see whether perhaps this is what secretly shows the figure of the priests or Levites: that in the whole people (I mean of those who are saved) the greater part by far, and far more numerous, are those who, believing simply in the fear of God, please the Lord by good works, honest habits, and commendable acts. But they are few and very rare, who, devoting themselves to wisdom and knowledge, keeping their mind clean and pure, and cultivating their souls with all excellent virtues, by the grace of their teaching light up for the other, simpler believers the road by which they walk and come to salvation. These are perhaps now signified under the name of Levites and priests, whose inheritance is said to be the Lord himself, who is wisdom, which they have loved above all else. Yet I find a certain difference between what Moses distributed and what Jesus distributed. For Moses, when he distributed land beyond the Jordan to the two and a half tribes, did not give the Levites the portion of dwelling that belonged to them; but Jesus gave it, not only in the tribes that he himself provides for, but also in those that had been settled by Moses beyond the Jordan. For dwellings are assigned to the Levites in each tribe, so that through this we might learn a far more magnificent mystery. For this Levitical or priestly order, which devotes itself to the wisdom and knowledge of God, could not receive a lot of dwelling from Moses, because Moses was a servant of the shadow and pattern rather than the truth. But Jesus our Lord, who was the Wisdom of God, himself provides dwellings for the wise. For Moses could not say: “Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” For this is to give a portion to the Levites. Nor could Moses say that he who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple. Nor could Moses say: “Everyone who does not hate father or mother, and brothers and sisters and children, and his own soul as well, cannot be my disciple.” Moses could not say this; therefore he himself could not assign the dwellings of the priests and Levites. Blessed, then, is he who shows himself such, and is found perfect in all these things that Jesus commanded, so that he may receive from Jesus the lot of a heavenly dwelling in the future; of whom the Lord Jesus himself says: “Father, I desire that where I am, these too may be with me”; and: “As I am in you and you in me, and we are one, so that these too may be one in us.”

But if, hearing that the Lord is said to be the inheritance of the perfect and more eminent, you do not know and are unsure what is signified by this name, hear that the Lord is wisdom. He, then, of whom it is said that the Lord is his inheritance will receive wisdom as his inheritance. The Lord is called righteousness. He, then, whose inheritance is the Lord will obtain righteousness as his inheritance. The Lord is peace, the Lord is redemption, the Lord is salvation; in the Lord are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Hence he whose inheritance is the Lord will receive all things as his inheritance. Yet those too, whose inheritance is said to be the Wisdom of God, the Word of God, truth and righteousness, meanwhile receive a dwelling among those whose inheritance is on earth; so that through fellowship with them those who are not yet strong enough by themselves may be made sharers through them in the wisdom and knowledge of God, and in his truth and Word. And so the divine plan reaches even to the very least, so that those who cannot themselves be directly capable of divine grace may be found worthy to be enlightened through fellowship with these, and what is written may be fulfilled: “He who had much did not have too much, and he who had little did not have too little”; and also what the Apostle says to the Corinthians about the saints at Jerusalem: “That your abundance,” he says, “may supply their need, and their abundance may supply your need.” So, then, the Levite and the priest who have no land are now commanded to dwell together with the Israelite who has land, so that the priest and the Levite may receive from the Israelite the earthly things they do not have, and the Israelite in turn may receive from the priest and the Levite the heavenly and divine things he does not have. For the law of God has been entrusted to the priests and Levites, so that they may devote themselves to it alone and give their time to the word of God without any anxiety. But in order to be able to give their time to it, they must make use of the services of the laity. For if the layman does not provide the priests and Levites with what is necessary, they will be occupied with such things, that is, with bodily cares, and will give less time to the law of God. And if they do not give their time and effort to the law of God, it is you who are in danger. For the light of knowledge that is in them will be darkened if you do not supply oil for the lamp; and through your fault that will happen which the Lord said, that “when the blind leads the blind, both fall into the pit.” And in you too will be fulfilled what the Lord said: “For if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” So that the light of knowledge may shine in the priests, then, and their lamp may always be lit, fulfill your duty, carry out God’s command concerning service to the priests. But if perhaps, having received from you what is necessary — and that as a blessing rather than a forced payment — they neglect to apply themselves to learning, to give their time to the word of God, and to meditate on the law of God day and night, they will see for themselves how they are to give an account to the Lord for your souls. But let us rather pray to the mercy of almighty God that he may graciously choose to enlighten us all with his light, his truth, and his splendor, and to give us his word as a lamp for our feet and as a light for our paths, our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who is the true light of the world, to whom is glory and dominion for ages of ages. Amen.