The Sermon on the Mount (Bossuet)/Day 11
Eleventh Day
FOUR MARKS OF A CHRISTIAN
Matt. v. 13-20
AFTER this abridgment of Christianity which Jesus Christ sets forth to His disciples, He points out three eminent characteristics that should mark those disciples. Those are: to be ‘ the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and extremely strict in keeping the commandments.' In other words, to have a solid taste for piety, for setting a good example, and for regularity and exactness. To these He further adds a fourth, which is eminence in perfection — ‘ unless your justice abound,’ etc.; and we then have the complete idea of Christian Justice.
Salt flavours food: it brings out its taste and prevents corruption; and in like manner the behaviour of the true Christian ought to rouse in others a taste for piety. Hence it is that St Paul says, ‘Let your speech be always in grace seasoned with salt'; [1] and this is just what those are very far off from whose whole conduct is full of languor and softness. There ought to be a holy vigour in the words of a Christian; he should reprove with strength, and sometimes even give a stinging prick as a grain of salt may do. But we must not put in too much salt at once, for then we shall make the whole mouth burn, instead of merely whetting the appetite by a little smart to the tongue.
To be the 'light of the world' is a degree higher, for it implies giving the example that builds up and enlightens the house of God. This is what we owe to each other; and, contrariwise, if we give one another scandal, that curse will fall upon us which our Saviour called down when He said: ' Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come; but, nevertheless, woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh... it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea.' [2]
Weigh well these words, O you Christians, who fear not to scandalise the feeble and little ones of the Church!
'You are the light of the world.' This is to be understood not only of the pastors, but of all the Faithful. St Paul expresses it thus: — ‘A crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.' [3] Whilst St Peter says: 'If any man speak, let him speak as the words of God' [4] — that is, as if God spoke through his mouth. It is recorded of St Matthias, by St Clement of Alexandria, that he said that when anyone did wrong in the neighbourhood of a Christian, he was to lay the blame on that Christian neighbour for not having set him a good enough example.
Thirdly, the Christian life demands extreme strictness. The smallest precepts must be attended to, and not one of them despised. Laxity begins with small things, and from them we fall into great evils. 4 He who despises the day of small things shall fall little by little.’ [5]
For the establishing of this strict Christian Justice, Jesus Christ lays down a fine principle: — that i the law of God is inviolable, and must be fulfilled in the very least particular.'
He is here considering particularly what had been predicted about Him in the law and the prophets, whence He says: ‘I come to fulfil all things.' In the things predicted by the law grand features appear: — the birth of Christ of a virgin, His sufferings, His cross, His resurrection; and again the conversion of the world and of the Gentiles, with the condemnation and just chastisement of the Jews. These are the great features; but these are not all. There is the iota^ and the smallest points of the prophecies which have also to be fulfilled. His garments must be divided: they must cast lots for His tunic without seam. See the precision involved in so subtle and accurate a distinction! Here is the iota — the minute detail. Then, He is to be sold, which may be called a great circumstance; but the price given for Him is to be thirty pieces of silver, and the field is to be bought of a potter. Here again is the iota y which must no more escape fulfilment than the rest. Thus, also, He must thirst — and His thirst must be quenched with vinegar and gall. He must suffer — that is the great prophecy; but it shall be outside the gates of the city — this is the small one. He is to be sacrificed like the Paschal Lamb; but also His bones, like those of the Lamb, are not to be broken on the Cross — once more the iota — and so with all the rest. Speaking more generally, Jesus Christ means to say that everything foretold in figure by the Law shall be truly accomplished in the Gospels, even to the smallest circumstance. The least things are significant in the Old Testament, and the least things must be fulfilled by the New Testament. ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn on the floor.’ [6] St Paul applies this to preachers. [7] It is the same with other details. ‘Thou shalt not boil a kid in the milk of its dam ’; [8] and, again, if a bird is found sitting on her nest ‘thou shalt not take her with her young, but shalt let her go, keeping the young which thou hast caught.... Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of linen and wool together. Thou shalt make strings to the hem of the four corners of thy cloak.’ [9] All these little details have great meanings, and are intended to inspire Christians with gentleness, moderation, simplicity, uprightness, and all other virtues.
What Our Lord deduces from all this is that we are not to forget the very least of His precepts; for if every single thing that God decreed for His Son must be accomplished in the most minute particulars, and not one may be omitted, how much more must not everything that He has ordained for us be fulfilled?
And now observe to what point this goes. 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass.’ [10] If the sun were suddenly to disappear — that torch of the world to be extinguished in full noon; if the heavens were to fall on us with a crash, or to roll back from overhead like a self-revolving roof; if the earth gave way under our feet, and its firm foundation were in a moment reduced to powder: — how utterly should we be lost! Yet for the least of God’s commandments to be broken is a much worse misfortune and a much more complete loss of all things.
Suppose they are broken, will Jesus Christ — who has said that they shall be kept — be therefore accounted a deceiver? God forbid! For they are always broken on a condition: — that is, that their breach will be punished. Hence, if we ever committed a fault and were able to evade its chastisement, Jesus Christ would have been mistaken; but as we cannot commit the smallest sin without its being brought up at the Judgment — where we shall be compelled to render an account, not only of unjust and slanderous words, but of even every idle one — Our Lord’s truth is confirmed.
The penalty rectifies the disorder: to sin is disorder; but to be punished when we sin is order: therefore you return by means of the penalty to the state of order that you had quitted by your fault. But to be able to sin with impunity would be the very height of disorder: — not in man, by sinning, but in God, by not punishing. Such disorder as this will never exist, because God, who is Order Himself, can be disordered in nothing; and as this Divine order is perfect — perfectly straight, without the slightest deviation — everything that does not follow its course is bruised by contact with it, and must feel the effect of its immovable rectitude.
But, on the other hand, if the threats are certain of fulfilment, so also are the promises. Go, Christian, to your crucifix! There behold all prophecies fulfilled minutely, and say to yourself: ' All things shall come to pass, and the happiness promised to me will not fail. I shall see God, I shall love and praise Him for ever and ever, and all my longings will be satisfied. Amen, amen! ’