Homilies on Joshua, Homily 21

The sons of Judah wanted to destroy or kill the Jebusites of Jerusalem and could not; therefore the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem until this day. Beginning with the letter, we want to ask those who think these things can stand according to the letter what is meant by “until this day,” a phrase that Scripture always uses to signify the continuing duration of the age, as when it says, “Do not turn away from the Lord this day,” that is, as long as the age stands. Let him show me, then, how the Jebusite lives with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem as long as the age stands, when not even the sons of Judah themselves live in Jerusalem. Therefore this cannot be true either, that the Jebusites live with the Jews in Jerusalem, since not even the Jews live there. But let us understand these things spiritually, taking up the parable of the Gospel which says of the weeds: “Let both grow, for fear that, when you want to pull up the weeds, you may pull up the wheat along with them.” As, then, in the Gospel the weeds are allowed to grow together with the wheat, so too here in Jerusalem, that is, in the church, there are certain Jebusites, those who lead an ignoble and degenerate life and are perverse in faith, in acts, and in all their conduct. For it is not possible for the church to be cleansed completely while it is on earth, so that no ungodly person or sinner seems to remain in it, but all in it are holy and blessed, and no stain of sin at all is found in them. But as it is said of the weeds, “for fear that, in pulling up the weeds, they may pull up the wheat with them,” so too it can be said of those in whom there are sins that are either doubtful or hidden. For we do not say of those who are manifestly and evidently criminal that they should not be expelled from the church. Listen, then, to Scripture saying that the sons of Judah could not destroy the Jebusites, but lived with them in Jerusalem until this day. Hence I urge you who are faithful so to keep your life and conduct that you neither stumble yourselves in anything nor cause others to stumble; but let it be your greatest zeal and your greatest care that no polluted person enter this holy assembly of yours, that no Jebusite live with you. You see, then, that Scripture says that the sons of Judah could not drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem. And Jebusite is interpreted “trampling.” Since, then, we cannot drive out those who trample on us, let us at least drive out those we can, whose sins are evident. For where sin is not evident, we can drive no one out of the church, for fear that, in pulling up the weeds, we may pull up the wheat along with them.

Yet I am struck by his saying that they could not drive out the Jebusites, that is, those whose name is interpreted “trampling.” And so let us see who the tramplers in the church are. Undoubtedly those of whom the Lord says in the Gospels: “Do not give what is holy, nor cast your pearls before swine, for fear that they may trample them under their feet and turn and tear you apart.” This, then, is the Jebusite, the trampler: those who hear the word of God unworthily, and when they have heard it, neither depart as unbelievers nor remain as believers, but, having gained knowledge of the mysteries and searched out the more secret things of our faith, afterwards turn and attack us, and tear our hearts apart with their contradictions, trampling on the pearls of the Lord’s word and staining the ornaments of the faith. It is of these, then, that it is said that the sons of Judah could not drive the Jebusite out of Jerusalem until this day. Something similar is written of Ephraim too; for Scripture says: “And Ephraim did not destroy the Canaanite who lived in Gezer, and the Canaanite has lived in Ephraim until this day.” Ephraim is interpreted “fruitfulness.” He, then, who bears fruit and grows in faith cannot exterminate the Canaanite, the most wicked seed, the cursed seed, the ever-shifting seed, the unstable seed; for this is what Canaanite is interpreted. And it is certain that the Canaanite always lives with one who bears fruit and grows, for the motions of temptation never leave him. But if you truly bear fruit in God and see someone of this kind, restless, turbulent, unstable, know that he is a Canaanite. If you cannot drive him out of the church, because “the sons of Ephraim could not destroy the Canaanites,” observe what the Apostle commends, saying: “Withdraw from every brother who walks in idleness.” But since Solomon urges that what we read be written in the heart threefold, besides what we have said I will bring to your ears what occurs to my heart; and you, do what is written, that when one speaks, all examine. So when I say what I think, you discern and examine whether anything is right or less right. Of Jerusalem we have often said that it is interpreted “vision of peace.” If, then, Jerusalem is built in our heart, that is, if the vision of peace is founded in our heart, and we always see and keep in our heart Christ, who is our peace; if we are so fixed and stable in this vision of peace that no evil thought or plan for any sin ever rises into our heart — if this can be so, we will be able to say that we are in Jerusalem and that no one else lives with us except those who are holy. But now, even when we come to great progress and cultivate ourselves with the greatest zeal, I still do not think that such purity of heart comes to anyone that he is never stained by the contagion of a hostile thought: it is certain that the Jebusites too live with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem. Yet we have not said this so that we may neglect to drive them out as far as possible; rather we must take pains and try daily to drive them out of Jerusalem; but, as it is written, we cannot drive them all out at once. The same must be thought of those who bear fruit, who are called sons of Ephraim; they too must always drive the Canaanites, that is, wandering and slippery thoughts, out of their souls. And God is able to subject both Jebusites and Canaanites to us, as it is written: “And he subjected the Canaanites to the sons of Ephraim.” Let us, then, pray to the Lord himself that he may drive evil thoughts out of us and bring in good ones, worthy of Jerusalem, the heavenly city, in which nothing polluted and filthy may be found that might convict us on the day of judgment by the thoughts of our conscience, but that purity of heart may be found in us in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is glory and dominion for ages of ages.